By Elizabeth Johnson Last month, Beth Israel Congregation( BIC), the only synagogue in Jackson, Miss., was damaged in an antisemitic arson attack. No congregants or staff were hurt, and the building was empty when the incident occurred.
In the weeks since, the incident has prompted reflection across Jewish communities well beyond the state, including here in Charlotte, about resilience, connection and the responsibilities that bind Jewish life across the South.
“ We must face antisemitism without abstraction, acknowledge the depth of what has been harmed, and remember that what was attacked was not only a building, but a living community and a web of human lives,” said Rabbi Asher Knight, Temple Beth El.
“ Something so familiar and so rooted can be rendered so vulnerable by one person’ s decision to destroy. It’ s so much easier to burn down than it is to build. And we must be builders.”
For many in Charlotte’ s Jewish community, the news felt acutely personal. Jewish life in the South has long been sustained through close relationships, shared leadership and regional networks that link communities often separated by distance but united by history and purpose.
“ An attack like this is meant to intimidate and isolate, but it only underscores how deeply connected Jewish communities are, especially across the South,” emphasized Adam Kolett, CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte.“ Standing with the Jackson congregation reflects a shared responsibility we carry, including here in Charlotte. In moments like this, Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte’ s ongoing work in education, advocacy and community security helps connect local action to broader efforts to confront antisemitism and sustain Jewish life. The work does not pause. It deepens.”
Jackson is also home to the Goldring / Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life( ISJL), a regional nonprofit that serves Jewish communities throughout thirteen Southern states, including North Carolina. Over the years, countless Charlotte-area rabbis, educators, and communal leaders have worked with ISJL, forging enduring ties that support Jewish life in places where resources are often limited and communal bonds matter profoundly.
“ BIC was my home for the seven years before I came to Charlotte,” shared Rachel Glazer, assistant director of youth education and engagement, Temple Beth El.
“ I stepped foot in that building every week for five years, and then six days a week for another two years in my capacity as religious school administrator and later as an educator for the ISJL. It is the synagogue my fiance grew up in and it’ s where we first laid eyes on one another in 2016.”
An attack on a synagogue in Jackson is not an isolated event. For smaller Jewish communities, where a single congregation often serves as both spiritual home and communal anchor, considerable damage to a building carries emotional weight far beyond bricks and mortar. It threatens a sense of safety, continuity and belonging.
“ This event has hit incredible close to home for us,” continued Glazer.
“ This was not an attack against the Jews of Jackson, Mississippi. It was an attack on Jews, period. I feel grim and full of grief but am comforted by the outpouring of support we’ ve seen for a community that often gets overlooked. I have been suffocated by my own outrage at the injustice of the attack: that a single person, in a matter of minutes and fueled by baseless hatred, can start a blaze that leaves so much terror in its wake. It doesn’ t seem fair that all the learning, teaching, marching, and organizing we do to combat it feels so slow by comparison. How could we set a fire with love?”
The arson also brought renewed attention to a painful chapter in Beth Israel’ s history. In 1967, the synagogue was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in retaliation for the congregation’ s involvement in civil rights work. This history serves as a reminder that Jewish communities in the South have long shown courage and moral leadership, often at personal risk.
“ My fiance’ s mom, Mindy Geiger Humphrey, was a kid when the temple was bombed in‘ 67,” said Glazer.“ And now his parents have been at the forefront of recovery efforts all these years later.”
In an interview with ABC News( as reported by the outlet), Beverly Geiger Bonnheim, the mother of Rabbi Ana Bonnheim and the sister of Glazer’ s future mother-inlaw, reflected on the moment:“ It was horrifying and disbelieving to see it again,” she said.“ Does history change?”“ There’ s a Hebrew saying,‘ l’ dor v’ dor,’ from generation to generation,” she added.“ The 1967( bombing) and dealing with the Klan, that was my generation’ s and my parent’ s generation’ s dealing with bigotry and hatred. Unfortunately now it’ s this generation’ s time to have to deal with those very issues.”
The incident comes amid ongoing concern about antisemitism, particularly in communities where visibility already requires resolve. Leaders across the region have emphasized incidents like this underscore the importance of solidarity, sustained investment in Jewish life and the strength that comes from regional connection.
“ If you visit my office at TBE, you’ ll see a handmade tapestry on my wall filled with notes and doodles from my students at BIC religious school,” closed Glazer.
“ Hearing their reactions to this attack gives me a burst of hope right now. The day after the fire, in response to the question of what we should do next, one of my former students boldly stated,‘ Be Jewish! Be more Jewish than ever!’ That is the answer to my question: by rooting ourselves in love, in seeking comfort within our Jewish community and our neighbors beyond,
The Charlotte Jewish News- February 2026- Page 13
After Arson at Jackson Synagogue, Southern Jewish Ties Come into Focus
Meg D. Goldstein
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Fire damage at Beth Israel Congregation following the arson attack. Photo courtesy of Mindy Geiger Humphrey.
by reaching into the well of grit and resilience which every generation of Jews before us has drawn from. Love starts a fire spreading warmth that does not consume, but comforts; light that does not blind but illuminates and pressure that does not destroy but inspires change. We have to be more Jewish, which is to say, we have to love.”
Jewish leaders in Charlotte noted the durability of Southern Jewish communities has always rested in deep ties that cross city and state lines. In moments of fear or loss, those bonds matter more than ever. What endures is not only the commitment to rebuild, but the shared understanding that Jewish life in the South is sustained together.
How to Support
In moments like this, the desire to help can outpace the avenues available to do so. Standing together also means being clear about what support is most meaningful right now.
At this time, the most effective way to assist is through a financial contribution to the Beth Israel Congregation Rebuilding Fund.
Please note, because of the condition of the building, the congregation is not able to accept material donations.
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