Arson

CAM Weekly Antisemitism report – Synagogues attacked by arsonists in the US and Germany

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

|ByCOMBAT ANTISEMITISM MOVEMENT
Summary of Events Over Last Week
Suspected arson at Beth Israel synagogue in Jackson, Mississppi, that destroyed two torah scrolls, January 11, 2026.

When moral clarity can’t wait at City Hall

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.

|ByLISA KATZ
Beth Israel Congregation hosts Shabbat services at the Northminster Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, on Jan. 16, 2026.

‘We are not made of wood and paper’: Jackson synagogue marks first Shabbat after arson

"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.

|ByGRACE GILSON/JTA
AMBASSADOR DEBORAH Lipstadt, US Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism speaks during 'March For Israel' at the National Mall on November 14, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Jackson synagogue arsonist unconnected to pro-Palestinian movement

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.

|ByANDREW LAPIN/JTA

Mississippi synagogue arson a warning of rising communal antisemitism - opinion

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.

JANUARY 13, 2026BySHERWIN POMERANTZ
Suspected arson at Beth Israel synagogue in Jackson, Mississppi, that destroyed two torah scrolls, January 11, 2026.

Man charged with setting fire to Mississippi synagogue targeted it due to its ‘Jewish ties’

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.

JANUARY 13, 2026ByGRACE GILSON/JTA
TEXT MESSAGES between the arson suspect Stephen Spencer Pittman and his father during the attack on Jan. 10, 2025.

‘Synagogue of Satan': Beth Israel arson suspect laughed when admitting crime to father

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.

JANUARY 13, 2026ByMICHAEL STARR
Suspected arson at Beth Israel synagogue in Jackson, Mississppi, that destroyed two torah scrolls, January 11, 2026.

Jackson, Mississippi's sole synagogue set ablaze in arson attack, suspect arrested

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.

JANUARY 11, 2026ByMICHAEL STARR
Suspected arson at Beth Israel synagogue in Jackson, Mississppi, that destroyed two torah scrolls, January 11, 2026.

Arson attack targets home of Germany’s Antisemitism Commissioner as family slept inside

As Germany marks Holocaust Remembrance season, the attack serves as a grim reminder that Antisemitism is not confined to history books

JANUARY 6, 2026ByCOMBAT ANTISEMITISM MOVEMENT
A shed on the property of Brandenburg Commissioner for Combating Antisemitism Andreas Büttner was set on fire in a suspected arson attack in the early morning of January 4, 2026.

Suspect arrested in Melbourne arson of vehicle with Hanukkah billboard

Suspect John Argento was arrested on a Richmond street without incident following the identification of the 47-year-old as a person of interest a day after the December 25 fire.

JANUARY 6, 2026ByMICHAEL STARR
John Argento

German antisemitism commissioner's property set on fire, Hamas symbol graffitied nearby

Büttner said that the incident represented a "massive escalation" directed against him, his family, and his home, but he would not be intimidated.

JANUARY 5, 2026ByMICHAEL STARR
A shed on the property of Brandenburg Commissioner for Combating Antisemitism Andreas Büttner was set on fire in a suspected arson attack in the early morning of January 4, 2026.

'West Bank-ification?' Police investigate Negev arson spree as Bedouin tensions intensify

Multiple vehicles were torched in Negev towns overnight, with police linking the incidents to reprisals following ongoing operations in nearby Bedouin communities.

DECEMBER 31, 2025BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir tour at the Bedouin town of Tarabin al-Sana, in southern Israel, December 28, 2025.

WATCH: Firefighters fighting flames in Lehavim from arson linked to Bedouin retaliation

The flames, which engulfed cars parked at a gas station near the town’s entrance, were extinguished by fire crews early Wednesday, and no injuries were reported.

DECEMBER 31, 2025ByPESACH BENSON/TPS
Firefighters working to put out flames in a parking lot where five vehicles caught on fire in Lehavim on December 30, 2025.

Melbourne rabbi's Hanukkah-decorated vehicle firebombed on Christmas morning

The car’s interior was extensively damaged, and multiple windows appeared to be smashed. No one was inside the vehicle at the time of the attack.

DECEMBER 25, 2025ByFRAIDY MOSER, MICHAEL STARR
A car decorated for Hanukkah was firebombed overnight in Melbourne’s east, with authorities launching an investigation into the incident.