New details have emerged regarding the arson attack at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, where 19-year-old Stephen Spencer Pittman allegedly broke into the historic synagogue early on January 10. According to federal affidavits, Pittman entered the building around 3 a.m., poured gasoline in the lobby and library, and ignited a fire that destroyed two sacred Torah scrolls and damaged five others.

Authorities reported that Pittman, a former high school athlete from nearby Madison, confessed to his father via text messages during the attack, referring to the synagogue as the “synagogue of Satan.” His father immediately contacted law enforcement, leading to federal charges. Pittman appeared in court from a hospital bed where he is being treated for burns sustained in the fire. Federal charges in the case carry a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Beth Israel Congregation, established in 1860, is Mississippi’s largest synagogue and a historic center for the Jewish community. The attack drew bipartisan condemnation, with local leaders and national officials denouncing the act as both a hate crime and an assault on religious freedom. Members of the tight-knit Jackson Jewish community vowed to rebuild and restore the damaged synagogue.

The incident has drawn attention to the synagogue’s prior targeting in 1967, when the site was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan amid the civil rights era. Officials emphasized that while the past echoes of racial and religious violence remain, the community’s resilience continues, and law enforcement is committed to thorough investigation and accountability.