Mississippi Synagogue Arson

LOS ANGELES (January 11, 2026) — The arson attack on Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, was not just an attack on a building. It was an assault on the heart of Jewish life in the South, and on a legacy shaped in partnership with the Black community through the long, unfinished struggle for civil rights.

The synagogue has long represented bonds of solidarity forged in the struggle for human dignity. This is not the first time Beth Israel has been targeted by hate. In 1967, the KKK bombed both the synagogue and the home of Rabbi Perry E. Nussbaum for standing up for civil rights and human dignity. This attack is not only an act of antisemitism, it is an assault on that legacy, testing whether the lessons of that era still hold.

Jewish leaders and institutions did not stand by on the sidelines during the Civil Rights Movement. They marched, they spoke out, they stood with Black Americans against segregation, racism, and terror. That alliance was not incidental; it was forged in fire, and its memory is a warning not to let history slip from view.

The violence in 1967 failed to silence them or sever the bonds between different religious communities, and it will not succeed now. In the aftermath, faith leaders from across communities gathered, forging a legacy of solidarity that still endures, a testament to what can be built in the shadow of hate.

We owe gratitude to law enforcement for their swift response, and to civic and religious leaders from other faiths who made it clear that the Jewish community would not stand alone. Their leadership is a signal that hate will be met head-on, not met with silence.

A house of worship should be a sanctuary, not a crime scene. When antisemitism strikes, it tears at the fabric of American life, wounding not just Jews but all who believe in freedom of faith. The solidarity shown across faiths and communities is a reminder that our strength lies in standing together against bigotry and violence.

About the Simon Wiesenthal Center

The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is a global Jewish human rights organization that combats antisemitism, defends the State of Israel, and uses the lessons of the Holocaust to teach tolerance and combat hate. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO). Headquartered in Los Angeles, the SWC operates in key centers of Jewish life including New York, Chicago, Florida, Toronto, Jerusalem, Vienna and Buenos Aires. To learn more, visit www.wiesenthal.org.