Decades after KKK bombing, congregant sees Mississippi synagogue burn again in arson attack

JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) — Beverly Geiger Bonnheim was 17 when the Ku Klux Klan bombed her synagogue in 1967. This weekend, at 75, she watched it burn again.

“It was horrifying and disbelieving to see it again,” Geiger Bonnheim said. “Does history change?”

The historic Beth Israel Congregation, the only synagogue in Jackson, was set ablaze shortly after 3 a.m. on Saturday.

The fire badly damaged the 165-year-old synagogue’s library and administrative offices. Two Torahs — the sacred scrolls with the text of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible — were destroyed, and five others were being assessed for smoke damage.

Stephen Pittman, 19, confessed to lighting a fire inside the building, which he referred to as “the synagogue of Satan,” according to an FBI affidavit filed in US District Court in Mississippi on Monday.

He was charged with maliciously damaging or destroying a building by means of fire or an explosive. He is also facing a similar state charge of first-degree arson of a place of worship.

Neither of the two public defenders representing Pittman have addressed the charges, nor have they returned The Associated Press’ requests for comment.

Geiger Bonnheim, who now lives in Dallas, remains an active member of the congregation. She is also on the board of the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, a nonprofit that celebrates Jewish life in the South and is based out of the Beth Israel Congregation building.

She recalls visiting the synagogue with her father the night it was bombed in 1967, calling the sight horrific. At the time, her father was vice president of the congregation, which had just moved into the building, she said.

“There’s a Hebrew saying, ‘l’dor v’dor,’ from generation to generation,” she said. “The 1967 (bombing) and dealing with the Klan, that was my generation’s and my parents’ generation’s dealing with bigotry and hatred. Unfortunately, now it’s this generation’s time to have to deal with those very issues.”

Geiger Bonnheim said the news of the arson was depressing but not surprising. Jewish people have been persecuted for more than 3,000 years, she said.

Benjamin Russell, the spiritual leader of Beth Israel Congregation, who is going to school to become a rabbi, said recovering from hardship is part of the Jewish psyche. He said the Torah is filled with examples of people being reborn through hardship.

“From the ashes, something beautiful will rise,” Russell said.

Zach Shemper, the congregation’s president, has vowed to rebuild. Already, nearby churches are opening their doors, offering to let the congregation worship inside. Other synagogues have offered the Beth Israel Congregation new Torahs.

The fire has not interrupted the congregation’s programs, and they plan to gather Friday night to observe Shabbat, a weekly day of rest.

“We’re still here, and we’re not going anywhere,” Shemper said.

While the congregation has shown resilience, their anger and sadness is palpable.

Abram Orlansky, a congregant and former Beth Israel Congregation president, broke down when he thought about his two children and the role the synagogue plays in their lives.

“We told our kids the truth — that someone did this on purpose, and it’s because they don’t like the Jewish people,” he said.

At the same time, Orlansky said seeing the outpouring of support from the Jackson community and the worldwide Jewish community has been heartening, and his kids are excited to be a part of showing the world that their community isn’t going anywhere.