What are the facts of the Beth Israel arson? The arson at Beth Israel is a direct attack on an institution that served as a rare sanctuary for civil rights activism in the Deep South. Rabbi Perry Nussbaum, who led Beth Israel from 1954 to 1973, was a “troublemaker” in the eyes of the Mississippi establishment. The Escalation: Two months after the 1967 synagogue bombing, the Klan bombed Rabbi Nussbaum’s private residence. “Arson at Beth Israel Synagogue Prompts Fear of Anti-Semitism in Mississippi.” Magnolia Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026, magnoliatribune.com/2026/01/12/arson-at-beth-israel-synagogue-prompts-fear-of-anti-semitism-in-mississippi/.

Source: Washington Post January 17, 2026 08:31 UTC