Arson

The victim, a Jerusalem resident who was on his way to school in Beitar Illit, sustained only minor injuries to his hands.

According to the indictment, Mizrahi planned the killing in advance, tracked the victim for days across Jerusalem and beyond, and prepared in advance to conceal his actions and destroy evidence.

This marks the latest cases of a growing trend of antisemitic hatred manifesting as physical acts of violence.

If “never again” is going to mean anything in our cities, it must show up in what we do now and in how quickly we’re willing to say, without a moment’s hesitation: not here.

"We will not only survive, we will thrive,” the congregation’s student rabbi and spiritual leader, Benjamin Russell, told his community, draped in the only surviving tallit that survived the fire.

Jewish activists and communities have been engaged in debate over which corner poses the greatest threat, and new incidents are often met with immediate speculation over the attacker’s motivations.

The arson attack on Beth Israel in Jackson isn’t just another hate crime; it signals a dangerous shift from targeting individuals to targeting the entire Jewish community.

Stephen Spencer Pittman was charged on Monday with maliciously damaging or destroying a building by means of fire or an explosive, according to an affidavit filed in US District Court in Mississippi.

Madison, Mississippi resident Stephen Spencer Pittman was alleged to have used an axe to break a window of Jackson’s only synagogue before dawn,  and entered to pour gasoline and set it ablaze.

According to Southern Jewish life, there were no injuries, but the building suffered significant fire and smoke damage. The library was reportedly charred, and two Torah scrolls were destroyed.