A Mississippi Synagogue Was Attacked in 1967 and 2026. The Antisemitic Rhetoric Looked the Same Then and Now.

A Mississippi Synagogue Was Attacked in 1967 and 2026. The Antisemitic Rhetoric Looked the Same Then and Now.

A 19-year-old accused of setting a Mississippi synagogue on fire allegedly dubbed Beth Israel a “synagogue of Satan.” The phrase echoed antisemitic rhetoric used almost 60 years ago by a KKK leader accused of masterminding a bombing of Beth Israel.

After Synagogue Fire, Jackson Parish Supports Jewish Neighbors

In March 1967, the Beth Israel Congregation of Jackson, Mississippi, broke ground for a new synagogue at 5315 Old Canton Road. Their new neighbor was St. Philip’s Church, across the street at 5400 Old Canton Road. Six months after Beth Israel had its first service, the Ku Klux Klan bombed the new synagogue, targeting the office of Rabbi Perry Nussbaum. Originally from Toronto, Nussbaum was vocal about his opposition to racial discrimination and …