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For southern Jews, the Mississippi synagogue firebombing rekindles memories of exile and endurance

JL;DR SUMMARY A recent firebombing of Beth Israel Congregation, Mississippi’s oldest synagogue, rekindles memories of historical attacks and evokes feelings of solidarity among Southern Jews. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

HistoryJewish IdentityJusticeSynagogue AttackCommunity ResilienceSouthern JewsBeth Israel CongregationKkkRabbi Perry Nussbaum

Places mentioned

Jackson, Mississippi, United States
"A fire damaged the library at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, on Jan. 10."
Utica, Mississippi, United States
"Henry S. Jacobs Camp, the Reform summer camp I attended and worked at, is located in the small town of Utica, 30 miles southwest of Jackson."
Louisiana, United States
"When I was growing up in Louisiana, this congregation was part of my broader Jewish community."
Tennessee, United States
"In high school I visited for Shabbaton with my regional youth group, which brought together teenagers from Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and western Tennessee."
New York City, New York, United States
"I firmly believed I would grow up, move out of the South, and leave behind Confederate flags and ugly antisemitic rhetoric for good."
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
"There is a Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in New Orleans, and an Institute for Southern Jewish Life that had its offices at Beth Israel in Jackson."
St. Louis, Missouri, United States
"In high school I visited for Shabbaton with my regional youth group, which brought together teenagers from Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and western Tennessee."
Chicago, Illinois, United States
"There might have been fewer of us across four states than in a single city like LA, Chicago or Miami, and it felt like we were one big extended family."
Miami, Florida, United States
"There might have been fewer of us across four states than in a single city like LA, Chicago or Miami, and it felt like we were one big extended family."

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Cairo Item ID 72595
Cairo Source ID 35
Retrieved 2026-01-13 05:30:58 UTC
Curated 2026-01-13 08:30:51 UTC