Arson in Mississippi is a reminder of what small‑town Jewish life still means

On Shabbat morning, January 10, as I was leaving services at Congregation Agudath Israel in Caldwell, I glanced at my phone and saw an urgent email from Michele Schipper, CEO of the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life. The ISJL is headquartered at Beth Israel Congregation—the only synagogue in Jackson, Mississippi. Michele was writing to alert board members, me included, that an overnight fire had severely damaged parts of the building and rendered the rest unusable. Although she acknowledged the possibility of an accident, the implication was unmistakable. Within hours, local and national news outlets confirmed that the blaze was arson and that a suspect was already in custody.

Much will be written about the antisemitsm behind this crime, and the pursuit of justice is essential. But as a sixth‑generation Mississippian with deep family ties to the Jackson Jewish community, I believe this moment also demands something else: a renewed understanding of the vibrant but fragile existence of small‑town Southern synagogues—and of the extraordinary work being done to sustain them and Jewish life in the communities they serve.

Jews have been part of the fabric of the South for as long as Jews have been in America. By the late 1600s, established communities thrived in Charleston and Savannah, followed by Richmond and New Orleans. Sephardic and later Ashkenazi Jews were drawn by religious tolerance and economic opportunity. In the mid‑19th century, the South—especially its small towns—became a destination for German Jews fleeing restrictive laws and later for Eastern European Jews seeking new beginnings. There was a time when a town’s stature could be measured by how many Jewish merchants lined its square.

These Jews became business owners, civic leaders, and neighbors. They built synagogues that anchored Jewish life for more than a century in places like Waycross, Georgia; Kingstree, South Carolina; Gainesville, Texas; Dumas, Arkansas; and Lexington, Mississippi. While Jewish life in metropolitan areas such as Atlanta has exploded—Atlanta now ranks among the world’s largest Jewish communities—small‑town congregations have steadily declined. Some have disappeared entirely, while others, like Beth Israel in Jackson, remain vibrant but face demographic challenges that would be daunting even without the threat of antisemitic violence.

Despite being in decline, these communities still matter. They are part of the American Jewish story, and they deserve our attention and, when possible, our support.

ISJL exists precisely because of this need. Founded by longtime Jewish educator and URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp leader Macy Hart, the organization began as the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, preserving the history of shrinking communities. While the museum now exists as a separate entity in New Orleans, about 25 years ago Macy recognized that preservation alone was not enough, and he refocused he organization as the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, expanding its mission to support, connect, and celebrate living Jewish communities across the South.

Today, the ISJL’s flagship program is its comprehensive religious school curriculum, delivered by Jewish education professionals who serve 70 synagogues and more than 3,000 children across 13 states. Its spiritual services division, including a full‑time rabbi, supports individuals and congregations without local clergy. Its cultural programming brings the stories and creativity of the Southern Jewish experience to communities both in person and online.

Small‑town synagogues and the ISJL work together to ensure that Jewish life—however long it endures in these places—remains rich, meaningful, and connected to the broader Jewish world. Acts of antisemitism create challenges for Jewish communities everywhere, but they cannot erase the resilience, creativity, and commitment that have sustained Southern Jewish life for centuries.

The fire in Jackson is a tragedy. It is also a reminder: these communities endure because people choose to keep showing up. And they will continue to endure if we choose to show up now and support them. For the Jackson Jewish community in this moment that means contributing to the rebuilding of their synagogue. For ISJL, it is about supporting their mission throughout the South. And for small Jewish communities everywhere, if your travels take you a small town or city with a synagogue, connect with them, attend a Shabbat service, let them know you see them and appreciate them.

Morris Lewis of Caldwell is a native Mississippian, living in Caldwell. He and his wife, Stacey, have 3 sons and four granddaughters. They are longtime members at Congregation Agudath Israel, where he is on the board of trustees. Morris is a mostly retired pharmaceutical executive, an active amateur genealogist, and a board member of the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson, MS and the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in New Orleans.

Opinion