Jackson, Miss. Beverly Geiger Bonheim was 17 when the Ku Klux Klan bombed her synagogue in 1967. This weekend, when she was 75, she watched the synagogue burn again.
“It was terrifying and unbelievable to see her again,” Geiger-Bonheim said. “Does history change?”
Historical Congregation Beth IsraelJackson’s only synagogue, was burned shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday.
The fire severely damaged the synagogue’s library and administrative offices, which are 165 years old. Two Torahs – the sacred scrolls containing the text of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible – were destroyed and five others are being assessed due to smoke damage.
Stephen BatemanThe 19-year-old admitted to starting a fire inside the building, which he referred to as the “Satan Temple,” according to an FBI affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Mississippi on Monday.
He was charged with maliciously damaging or destroying a building using fire or explosives. He also faces a similar state charge of first-degree arson of a place of worship.
Neither public defender representing Pittman addressed the charges, nor did they respond to The Associated Press’s requests for comment.
Geiger Bonheim, who now lives in Dallas, remains an active member of the group. She also serves on the board of directors of the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute for Southern Jewish Life, a nonprofit organization that celebrates Jewish life in the South and is based out of the Congregation Beth Israel building.
She remembers visiting the synagogue with her father on the night it was bombed in 1967, and described the scene as horrific. At the time, she said, her father was vice president of the church that had just moved into the building.
“There is a Hebrew saying, ‘dor vidor,’ from generation to generation,” she said. “(The) 1967 bombing and dealing with the Klan, my generation and my father’s generation were dealing with bigotry and hate. Unfortunately, now is the time for this generation to deal with these very issues.”
Geiger-Bonheim said news of the arson was disappointing but not surprising. She said that the Jewish people have been persecuted for more than 3,000 years.
Recovering from hardship is part of the Jewish psyche, said Benjamin Russell, the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Israel who will go to school to become a rabbi. He said the Torah is full of examples of people being reborn amidst difficulties.
“From the ashes, something beautiful will emerge,” Russell said.
Zach Schember, the group’s president, pledged to rebuild. Already, nearby churches are opening their doors, offering to allow worshipers to worship inside. Other synagogues offered Congregation Beth Israel a new Torah.
The fire did not interrupt the congregation’s programs, and they plan to gather Friday night to observe the Sabbath, a weekly day of rest.
“We’re still here, and we’re not going anywhere,” Schember said.
Although the group has shown flexibility, its anger and sadness are clear.
Abram Orlansky, a congregant and former president of Congregation Beth Israel, broke down when he thought about his two children and the role the synagogue plays in their lives.
“We told our children the truth — that someone did it on purpose, and it’s because they don’t like Jewish people,” he said.
At the same time, Orlansky said seeing the outpouring of support from the Jackson community and the Jewish community around the world has been encouraging, and his children are excited to be a part of showing the world that their community isn’t going anywhere.
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LaFleur contributed to this report from Dallas, Texas.