In the early hours of January 10, 2026, a devastating fire tore through Beth Israel Congregation, the historic and largest synagogue in Jackson, Mississippi. The blaze, which erupted just after 3 a.m., left the building’s library and administrative offices in ruins, destroyed two Torah scrolls, and caused significant smoke damage throughout the main sanctuary, including five additional Torah scrolls. The incident has rattled the city’s Jewish community and reignited memories of past attacks, drawing national and international condemnation, as well as calls for unity and resilience.
According to multiple reports, including detailed affidavits cited by Mississippi Today, The Forward, and the Clarion Ledger, the suspect, Stephen Spencer Pittman, a 19-year-old from Madison County, was charged on January 12, 2026, with maliciously damaging or destroying a building by means of fire or an explosive. Pittman, who typically goes by his middle name, was a former honor roll student and varsity baseball player at St. Joseph Catholic School in Madison and played baseball at Coahoma Community College. His social media presence, as noted by Mississippi Today, was filled with posts about baseball and Christianity, painting a picture of a young man engaged in community and faith—until this shocking turn.
Security camera footage from Beth Israel Congregation, the only synagogue in Jackson, captured a hooded figure pouring accelerant inside the building’s library before igniting the fire with a torch lighter. The figure, later identified as Pittman, reportedly broke a window with an axe to gain entry. According to the FBI affidavit, he had stopped at Mac’s Gas in Ridgeland to purchase gasoline, removed the license plate from his truck, and texted his father details and photos during the act. His texts included chilling messages such as, “There’s a furnace in the back,” “Btw my plate is off,” “Hoodie is on,” and “And they have the best cameras.”
After the fire, Pittman sustained burns on his ankles, hands, and face. He drove himself to the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where he was later taken into custody. Investigators recovered a burnt cell phone believed to be his and a hand torch left at the scene. The affidavit recounts that Pittman’s father, S.P., noticed the burns on his son and confronted him, at which point Pittman confessed to setting the synagogue ablaze. The father immediately contacted the FBI and provided GPS data confirming his son’s presence at the synagogue early that morning.
Pittman’s motive, as described in the court documents, was explicitly tied to the synagogue’s Jewish identity. In interviews with federal authorities, Pittman referred to Beth Israel as the “synagogue of Satan.” He “laughed as he told his father what he did and said he finally got them,” according to the FBI’s account. The attack, which could potentially be prosecuted as a hate crime, has been widely condemned as an act of religious hatred.
Remarkably, the fire targeted the same wing of the octagonal building that was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in 1967, as reported by Mississippi Today. That earlier attack, aimed at former Rabbi Perry Nussbaum for his involvement in the civil rights movement, left the community shaken but undeterred. Nearly six decades later, the echoes of that violence have returned, but so too has a surge of solidarity and support.
Local officials, religious leaders, and national figures have spoken out forcefully against the attack. Mayor John Horhn told Mississippi Today, “We thought that Mississippi was beyond that sort of thing.” Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann, a longtime neighbor of the synagogue, called the fire “an act of religious hatred against a place meant to offer prayerful peace and comfort,” adding, “Such acts threaten all of us, regardless of faith. The perpetrator should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, in a statement relayed by the Clarion Ledger, declared, “Mississippi stands with the members of Beth Israel Congregation. This heinous act will never be tolerated, and the perpetrator should face the full and solemn weight of their actions. I have directed the Mississippi Department of Public Safety to support our federal law enforcement partners in any manner necessary as they investigate this horrible situation and pursue state charges.”
The Catholic Diocese of Jackson, where Pittman was once a student, issued a joint statement with St. Joseph Catholic School denouncing the attack. “The actions attributed to the accused individual are senseless, reprehensible, and wholly incompatible with the values taught by the Catholic Church and upheld in our Catholic schools,” the statement read. Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz added, “We reaffirm our commitment to the teachings of Nostra aetate, which call the Church to reject antisemitism, to honor our shared spiritual heritage, and to pursue mutual respect and dialogue.”
The response from the broader community has been swift and supportive. A citywide prayer service is scheduled for January 15, 2026, at Thalia Mara Hall, with the aim of uplifting Beth Israel and the Jewish community in Jackson. Beth Israel Congregation, which has anchored Jewish life in the city since 1860, has established a donation fund for rebuilding efforts. The synagogue also houses the offices of the Institute for Southern Jewish Life, which provides educational programs and rabbinical services to Jewish congregations across the South.
Federal and state authorities—including the FBI, ATF, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, and Jackson Fire Department Arson Unit—are conducting a thorough investigation. State charges are expected to be pursued alongside federal charges, and officials have indicated that hate crime charges are under consideration. Pittman was slated to appear in federal court on January 12, 2026. As of publication, no attorney had been listed for him, and the community college where he played baseball has removed his name and photograph from its online roster.
Despite the shock and pain, the congregation and its supporters are determined to rebuild and move forward. The outpouring of solidarity from across religious and political lines, as well as from national leaders, underscores a collective refusal to let hatred define the city’s future. As Beth Israel looks to recover—again—from an act of violence, the resolve to stand together against antisemitism and bigotry is stronger than ever.
