Beth Israel Synagogue: Building burned, hate fails, mission continues

By Dr. Anne T. Sulton, Esq.

JA Senior International Correspondent

The Jackson Advocate knows well the overwhelming fear and heart wrenching pain felt when receiving a call in the middle of the night that one’s building is engulfed in fire and irreplaceable documents are reduced to ash. Our newspaper offices were firebombed in 1982 and 1998. During the summer of 1998, the vacant house next door to the Tisdale home was firebombed as a scare tactic. 

On the threshold of the second quarter of the first century of this new millennium, January 10, 2026, news reports on the arson at the Beth Israel Synagogue reminds us of the message Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered in 1958 at the National Biennial Convention of the American Jewish Congress. He stated: “There are Hitlers loose in America today, both in high and low places. … Every Negro leader is keenly aware, from direct and personal experience, that the segregationists make no fine distinctions between the Negro and the Jew. … Some have jeered at Jews with Negroes; some have bombed the homes and churches of Negroes; and in recent acts of inhuman barbarity, some have bombed your synagogues … Our common fight is against these deadly enemies of democracy, and our glory is that we are chosen to prove that courage is a characteristic of oppressed people, however cynically and brutally they are denied full equality and freedom. … The shape of the world today does not permit us the luxury of an anemic democracy. … In Mississippi, a Negro college professor is turned away from the poles, a minister is shot and killed for attempting to vote … Social progress is never attained by passive waiting. It comes only through the tireless efforts and passionate concern of dedicated individuals. … This is no time for apathy nor complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action. … America, the first nation to electrify the world with a new concept of man’s capability of self-rule without monarchs or regents, must fulfill the promises of its constitution and Declaration of Independence.”

The Jackson Advocate joins the clarion call against the hate the Beth Israel Synagogue experienced last week and for the “positive action” about which Dr. King spoke. 

Congressman Bennie Thompson said: “What happened at Beth Israel Congregation is wrong. A place meant for worship, community, and peace was damaged by an act rooted in hatred. Beth Israel has been part of the Jackson community for generations, and acts of antisemitism and religious hatred cannot be accepted. As this incident is investigated, this moment calls for unity, respect, and a shared commitment to protecting one another and the freedom to worship in peace.”

Governor Tate Reeves issued a statement saying: “Mississippi stands with the members of Beth Israel Congregation. This heinous act will never be tolerated”.

The Mississippi Senate Democrats said: “[W]e call on all Mississippians to reject hate in every form, to speak out against extremism, and to reaffirm our shared commitment to love, respect, and peace. Hate will not divide us. Faith will not be silenced. And violence will not define who we are.”

After visiting the site, Jackson Mayor John Horhn stated: “Acts of antisemitism, racism, and religious hatred are attacks on Jackson as a whole and will be treated as acts of terror against residents’ safety and freedom to worship. Targeting people because of their faith, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation is morally wrong, unAmerican, and completely incompatible with the values of this city. Jackson stands with Beth Israel and the Jewish community, and we’ll do everything we can to support them and hold accountable anyone who tries to spread fear and hate here.”

Waikinya Clanton, Mississippi state director of the Southern Poverty Law Center too denounced this hate, saying: “Every person deserves to live and worship in safety, dignity and peace and we will continue to stand up against antisemitism and all forms of violence wherever they appear.”

The International Museum of Muslim Cultures issued a statement saying it “is deeply saddened and disturbed by the news of the arson attack on Beth Israel Congregation and Synagogue. Together with our Beloved Community Partnership and its Visionary Leadership Circle (VLC), we extend our love, prayers, and unwavering support to the congregants and leadership of Beth Israel during this painful time.”