Arson engulfs Mississippi synagogue, a congregation once bombed by Ku Klux Klan
NPR••nation
Key Points:
- Authorities have charged a suspect with arson in the early Saturday morning fire that caused extensive damage to Beth Israel Congregation, Jackson, Mississippi's only synagogue, with investigations involving local fire officials, the ATF, and the FBI ongoing.
- The fire destroyed the synagogue's library, administrative offices, lobby, two Torahs, and a Tree of Life plaque, while five other Torahs were damaged; a Holocaust-surviving Torah was protected and unharmed.
- Surveillance footage showed a masked man pouring liquid inside the synagogue, and the suspect was identified and arrested after being treated for burns at a local hospital, subsequently confessing to involvement in the fire.
- Jackson Mayor John Horhn condemned the act as terrorism against the community, emphasizing that antis
