A suspect has been arrested after a fire tore through Beth Israel, the only synagogue in Jackson, Mississippi, on Saturday, leaving the congregation forced to rebuild from the ashes — again. Zach Shemper, president of Beth Israel Congregation, enters the synagogue hours after a fire damaged it on Saturday, January 10, 2026, in Jackson, Mississippi. Beth Israel Congregation has been the Jewish spiritual home in Jackson, MS for over 160 years,” Shemper said in a statement to CNN. A fire tore through Beth Israel, the only synagogue in Jackson, Mississippi, on Saturday. “It was an assault on the heart of Jewish life in the South, and on a legacy shaped in partnership,” Berk said.

Source: CNN January 11, 2026 19:38 UTC