Beth Israel Congregation

How an ‘all-American boy’ became a Mississippi synagogue arson suspect

Arno Rosenfeld in Forward · 21 Jan

Stephen Spencer Pittman's sudden shift from a typical all-American teen to an arson suspect has puzzled his community and investigators.

0 Communities Antisemitism

‘We are not made of wood and paper’: Jackson synagogue marks first Shabbat after arson

Grace Gilson in JTA · 18 Jan

After an arson attack targeted Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, the Jewish community gathered for a resilient Shabbat service at Northminster Baptist Church, reaffirming their strength and unity.

0 Communities Antisemitism

After synagogue arson, Jackson’s Jews find solidarity, and complexity, at interfaith prayer service

Grace Gilson in JTA · 16 Jan

In the aftermath of a devastating arson attack on Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, the local Jewish community found solidarity through an interfaith prayer service.

0 Communities History

What Jackson, Mississippi's only synagogue means to its city — in the wake of arson, and beyond

Austin Albanese in Forward · 15 Jan

Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, has a history of resilience and community involvement dating back to its founding in 1875.

0 Television/Film Antisemitism

Jewish creators made a satirical cartoon. Then the Mississippi synagogue arson supsect shared it

Hannah Feuer in Forward · 14 Jan

An arson suspect in Mississippi, Stephen Spencer Pittman, shared a satirical cartoon clip mocking Jews on the same day he set fire to Beth Israel Congregation.

0 Holocaust Communities

The Holocaust Torah that survived a Mississippi synagogue fire was brought there by the state’s only survivor

Benyamin Cohen in Forward · 14 Jan

The Torah from Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, showcases remarkable survival stories both past and present.

0 Antisemitism History

What the 'synagogue of Satan' slur tells us about Christian antisemitism

Louis Keene in Forward · 13 Jan

The term 'synagogue of Satan,' originating from the New Testament's Book of Revelation, has resurfaced as a slur used in contemporary antisemitic rhetoric.

0 Communities Antisemitism

The synagogue means something special to Southern Jews — which makes the Mississippi arson that much darker

Rachel Fink in Forward · 13 Jan

The arson attack on Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, struck at the heart of the Southern Jewish community's identity.

0 Antisemitism Communities

Synagogue arson suspect posted antisemitic cartoon on day of the attack

Louis Keene in Forward · 13 Jan

Stephen Spencer Pittman, a 19-year-old from Mississippi, is charged with arson after allegedly setting fire to the Beth Israel Congregation synagogue in Jackson.

0 Antisemitism Communities

Man charged with setting fire to Mississippi synagogue targeted it due to its ‘Jewish ties,’ FBI says

Grace Gilson in JTA · 12 Jan

A man named Stephen Spencer Pittman has been charged with arson for allegedly setting fire to Beth Israel Congregation, the only synagogue in Jackson, Mississippi.

0 Antisemitism History

Mississippi fire suspect called the temple a 'synagogue of Satan'

Louis Keene in Forward · 12 Jan

The historic Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, was set ablaze in a suspected antisemitic hate crime.

0 Antisemitism Communities

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

Anya Kamenetz in Forward · 12 Jan

A recent firebombing of Beth Israel Congregation, Mississippi’s oldest synagogue, rekindles memories of historical attacks and evokes feelings of solidarity among Southern Jews.

0 Antisemitism Communities

Mississippi synagogue that was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in 1967 is heavily damaged in arson

Asaf Elia-Shalev in JTA · 11 Jan

Beth Israel Congregation, the only synagogue in Jackson, Mississippi, was deliberately set on fire in what authorities are investigating as a potential hate crime.

0 Antisemitism Communities

Fire at Mississippi’s largest synagogue under federal investigation after arrest

Benyamin Cohen in Forward · 11 Jan

Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, the state's largest synagogue, suffered significant damage from a suspected arson attack that is currently under federal investigation.

0 Antisemitism History

An arsonist torched a Mississippi synagogue. It feels hauntingly familiar.

Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin in Forward · 11 Jan

A recent arson attack on Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, which destroyed much of the historic synagogue, echoes a long and painful history of antisemitic violence in America and beyond.

0 Antisemitism Communities

Synagogue protests have shocked NYC and LA. This Michigan congregation has faced them for 22 years

Hannah Feuer in Forward · 4 Dec 2025

For over two decades, Beth Israel Congregation in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has faced persistent anti-Israel and antisemitic protests spearheaded by former congregant Henry Herskovitz.

0 Communities Leadership

We Must Not Forsake Small Town Jewish Life

Rachel Isaacs in Moment · 17 Apr 2025

Rachel Isaacs reflects on her experience revitalizing Jewish life in the small town of Waterville, Maine, where she serves as a rabbi and is the founder of the Center for Small Town Jewish Life.

0 Communities Culture

In flooded Jackson, a synagogue makes bat mitzvah disaster plans

Sarah Nachimson in Forward · 1 Sep 2022

Beth Israel Congregation, Jackson, Mississippi's sole synagogue, is adapting to ongoing water crises and extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change.

0 Communities History

After Hurricane Katrina, A Solemn Yom Kippur

Menachem Butler in Tablet · 13 Sep 2013

After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the Beth Israel congregation faced immense challenges with their synagogue heavily damaged.

JL;DR

Tag: Beth Israel Congregation