Wicker Stands with Beth Israel Congregation

Members of the Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson are picking up the pieces after an anti-Semitic arsonist allegedly set their synagogue ablaze. Congregants are sorting through charred Torah scrolls, assessing structural damage, and trying to explain such bigotry to their children. Property damage is a crime in itself, but targeted attacks on religious sites and peoples are despicable. This fire was an assault on the religious freedom and sense of safety this community deserves.

Many have noted that, tragically, Beth Israel has experience recovering from violent attacks. The congregation withstood a Ku Klux Klan bombing in the 1960s, following then-rabbi Perry Nussbaum's support for civil rights. Beth Israel could have closed its doors. Instead, it persisted and is Mississippi's largest Jewish congregation.

Not An Isolated Attack

Even as we are grateful that no lives were lost, we are keenly aware that this attack is not an isolated incident. The past decade has been particularly dangerous for Jewish Americans. This fire is the latest in a trend of anti-Semitic incidents across the nation and around the world.

American Jewish congregations will never forget the 2018 shooting at the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue-the deadliest assault on a Jewish community in our country's history. The following year, a worshipper was killed at a synagogue near San Diego. In 2022, Jewish congregants were held hostage during a service in Colleyville, Texas.

The barbaric October 7, 2023, attacks escalated the threats against these communities. Hamas committed horrors against Israeli civilians, and Israel fought back against the terrorists. Instead of support, many Jewish persons experienced a backlash. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), 2024 saw 9,354 hate incidents against Jewish people. That figure is the highest single year amount since ADL began tracking 46 years ago. It is a 362 percent increase over 2020 and an 893 percent rise from 2015.

Resist All Sources of Anti-Semitism

Our Jewish friends know all too well that anti-Semitic bigotry can come from all ends of the political spectrum. In the hateful elements of the anti-Israel protests, left-wing fanatics created dangerous conditions for Jewish Americans. A rabbi at Columbia University even advised Jewish students to stay home until the protests ended.

The perpetrators of the shootings in Pennsylvania and California cited far-right ideologies. The suspect in this month's arson attack called Beth Israel a "synagogue of Satan." That phrase comes from the Christian New Testament, but it has been twisted by anti-Semites. In the past few years, it has been used by far-right influencers. I am grateful that President Trump emphatically denounced these bigots in a recent interview.

We must condemn these hateful and dangerous ideas wherever we find them. In the past few years, American Jewish college and K-12 students have faced unacceptable discrimination from school students, teachers, and administrators. As Israel fought to defeat the murderous Hamas terrorists, I voted to supply the nation with military and economic aid.

This month, my colleagues and I introduced a Senate resolution to reaffirm America's leadership on religious freedom matters. Of course, we have the ultimate affirmation in the First Amendment. The Constitution guarantees that no government can punish or promote any religion. Its citizens should likewise treat with respect every person's right to free religious expression.

Indeed, Israel enjoys widespread support from American evangelicals. I am encouraged that the evangelical communities of Jackson have stepped up to offer support close to home. Several have offered Beth Israel a place to worship while they rebuild. I saw a beautiful photo of a Baptist church giving Beth Israel space to unroll Torahs and mitigate smoke damage. That is exactly the kind of hospitality that we need in the face of anti-Jewish attacks.