The sweeping black lines form the outline of a tree on a brick wall that once displayed the Tree of Life The largest synagogue in Mississippi.
The commemorative copper plaque was damaged, however Withstood the fire He was baptized earlier this year at Congregation Beth Israel’s house of worship in northeast Jackson. Flames trailed the trunk, branches and copper leaves containing inscriptions of devotees’ birthdays, weddings and anniversaries.
The painting was sent for restoration by specialists, along with five of the synagogue’s Torahs and religious tapestries. Right now, Rachel Myers, a congregation leader who teaches yeshiva at the synagogue, pasted up a picture of a tree drawn by one of the congregation’s children.
“He wanted to make sure we kept the tree of life going,” she said.
The children’s drawings represent how Myers and the congregation used arson to remind each other of the importance of resilience and faith.
Madison County man Steven Spencer Pittman, Awaiting trial Prosecutors say it was an anti-Semitic attack. Pittman – who usually uses his middle name – has pleaded not guilty to three federal charges of arson, damage to religious property and using fire to commit a felony.
Pittman was arrested hours after the fire at a local hospital where he was being treated for severe burns. He allegedly confessed to his crimes to law enforcement and referred to Beth Israel as the “Temple of Satan,” according to a report. Federal court document Submitted days later. Surveillance video From inside the synagogue, it showed a man spraying a liquid, and prosecutors allege that after Pittman lit the fire, He called his father And “he laughed as he told his father what he had done and said that he had finally got them.”
Myers said the fire made members of the congregation stronger. She said it made teaching Hebrew to young people a little easier.
“We will continue to do this, because there are those who want us to stop,” she said Sunday as church officials opened the synagogue to local media.
Earlier in the day, about 60 church members walked through the synagogue for the first time since the fire that occurred in the predawn hours of January 10. What they saw was much different from the synagogue they knew, said Sarah Thomas, the church’s first vice president, who has been a member for 37 years of her life.
“It was a good opportunity to see what it is like now and then start dreaming and hoping for what it will look like when we get back here as a community,” she said.
Instead of walls covered in tapestries and other artwork, worshipers saw mostly barren bricks, shattered glass windows, and long, empty rafters — the result of a fire that exposed asbestos in the ceiling.
“Along all these walls were Bibles, prayer books and other artwork that you can’t find anywhere else,” said Zach Schember, the church’s president, standing in the now-empty library, where surveillance video showed the attacker storming into the building and running rampant.
Arson destroyed many of those items, including two copies of the Torah in the library that first caught fire.
A slight smell of soot could still be detected in the building, as the heating and air conditioning system had not yet been repaired, Thomas said. But the cleaning work is 95% complete.
In coordination with a local architect, congregation leaders hope to begin construction by late summer, with the goal of hosting services in the building by Rosh Hashanah in October 2027. Asbestos removal alone will cost $2 million, but the total cost of rebuilding is not yet known without bids from construction companies.
To lift the spirits of congregants as they walk, Myers tapes artwork created in her classrooms throughout the synagogue. Without prompting, several congregants began discussing improvements they hoped to see in the space — specifically, the need for more freezers in the kitchen, which plays a major role in the congregation’s annual bazaar featuring classic Jewish meals.
“Our congregation is already thinking of ways to invite the public back here into this space,” Myers said.
Thomas was excited to see one of the photos her daughter, Ruby, had taken. Under the words of the Hebrew song Myers taught the children about strength, Ruby painted bright blue water overcoming red flames, creating a triumphant rainbow.
“Whatever this guy thought he was going to do, it makes us stronger,” Myers said.
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This story was originally published by Mississippi Today It is distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.