Bill Text: MS HR76 | 2026 | Regular Session | Engrossed
Bill Title: Beth Israel Congregation; condemn arson attack upon.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Passed) 2026-03-19 - Enrolled Bill Signed [HR76 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2026-HR76-Engrossed.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2026 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Representative McLean
House Resolution 76
(As Adopted by House)
A RESOLUTION CONDEMNING THE ARSON ATTACK UPON BETH ISRAEL CONGREGATION ON JANUARY 10, 2026.
WHEREAS, the Mississippi House of Representatives strongly condemns the hateful attack directed at the Beth Israel Congregation on January 10, 2026, and while this arson attack on the historic synagogue in our Capital City was apparently an act of hate performed by one individual, it is yet another instance of antisemitic behavior that has been festering across the country and across the world; and
WHEREAS, the Beth Israel Congregation was founded in 1860, and soon after they purchased land for a cemetery on North State Street, and by the end of 1862, 15 Jewish families lived in town; and
WHEREAS, after the Civil War, the congregation acquired land and built a modest wood frame schoolhouse, which they also used as a worship space, on the corner of South State and South streets, and this was the first synagogue in Mississippi; and
WHEREAS, in 1870, the congregation hired its first rabbi, L. Winter, who began to move the congregation towards Reform Judaism with English sermons, services on Friday nights, and the confirmation ceremony, and though Rabbi Winter soon left, in 1875, Beth Israel formalized its adherence to Reform Judaism by joining the Union of American Hebrew Congregations; and
WHEREAS, when the congregation's wood frame building burned down in 1874, they built a new brick building on the old site, which served the congregation until 1940, and when the congregation moved to Woodrow Wilson Avenue in 1941, their synagogue was the oldest religious structure in the city, and while their new synagogue was being built, Beth Israel held services at Galloway Methodist Church; and
WHEREAS, during its first 70 years, the congregation often went through long stretches without a full-time rabbi, relying on lay leaders and student rabbis, and in 1929, Beth Israel finally began to enjoy more stability in its rabbis with the arrival of Meyer Lovitt, who served the congregation for 25 years; and
WHEREAS, Rabbi Lovitt was replaced in 1954 by Toronto-native Perry Nussbaum, who became an outspoken voice against racism and segregation, but September 18, 1967, Beth Israel's new temple on Old Canton Road was bombed by local Ku Klux Klan members, and two months later, the same group bombed Rabbi Nussbaum's home, and though he was home with his wife at the time, no one was seriously hurt; and
WHEREAS, these bombings helped to galvanize the Jackson community, and since then, members of Beth Israel have played a vital part in building a more racially just society in Jackson; and
WHEREAS, in 1967, Beth Israel moved to its present home on Old Canton Road, and since Rabbi Nussbaum's retirement in 1973, the following rabbis have served the congregation: Richard Birnholz, Mark Goodman, Eric Gurvis, Steven Engel, Jim Egolf, Valerie Cohen, Ted Riter, Stephen Wylen, Jeffrey Kurtz-Linder and Joseph Rosen, and Rabbi Eric Gurvis returned to serve the congregation as an interim in 2024 and 2025, and in July 2025, Benjamin Russell became the spiritual leader while as a student rabbi; and
WHEREAS, Jackson's Beth Israel Congregation has always been the only synagogue in Mississippi's capital city, and as a result, it has accommodated members from different religious backgrounds and practices, and for most of its history, the congregation has been rather small, though in recent decades it has emerged as the largest and most vibrant synagogue in the state; and
WHEREAS, we ask all Mississippians to stand with us, loudly and clearly rejecting antisemitism in all forms, as Mississippi's future will not be tainted by intolerance; and
WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to stand firmly with the Jewish community, and we hope justice is both swift and strong to send a message that the attack on Beth Israel Congregation on January 10, 2026, will not be tolerated in Mississippi:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby condemn the arson attack upon Beth Israel Congregation on January 10, 2026.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Beth Israel Congregation and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.
