Mississippi synagogue congregant shares story of 1967 Ku Klux Klan bombing
JACKSON, Miss. — Beverly Geiger Bonnheim was 17 when the Ku Klux Klan bombed her synagogue in 1967. This weekend, at age 75, she watched it burn again.
“It was horrible and incredulous to see that again,” Geiger Bonnheim said. “Is history changing?
Historic Congregation Beth Israel, Jackson’s only synagogue, was burned shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday.
The fire severely damaged the library and administrative offices of the 165-year-old synagogue. Two Torahs – the sacred scrolls containing the text of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible – were destroyed and five others were assessed for smoke damage.
Stephen Pittman, 19, admitted to starting a fire inside the building, which he called a “synagogue of Satan,” according to an FBI affidavit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Mississippi.
He was charged with maliciously damaging or destroying a building by means of fire or explosive. He also faces a similar charge of first-degree arson of a place of worship.
Neither public defender representing Pittman responded to the accusations, nor did they respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.
Geiger Bonnheim, who now lives in Dallas, remains an active member of the congregation. She is also a board member of the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, a nonprofit organization celebrating Jewish life in the South and based in the Beth Israel Congregation building.
She remembers visiting the synagogue with her father the night it was bombed in 1967, calling the sight horrible. At the time, her father was vice president of the congregation, which had just moved into the building, she said.
“There’s a Hebrew saying, ‘l’dor v’dor,’ from generation to generation,” she said. “The attacks of 1967 and the fight against the Klan, it was my generation and that of my parents who faced bigotry and hatred. Unfortunately, it is now this generation’s turn to have to face these same problems.”
Geiger Bonnheim said the news of the arson was depressing but not surprising. The Jewish people have been persecuted for more than 3,000 years, she said.
Benjamin Russell, the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Israel who is going to school to become a Rabi, said recovering from trials is part of the Jewish psyche. He said the Torah is filled with examples of people being reborn through trials.
“From the ashes, something beautiful will rise,” Russell said.
Zach Shemper, the congregation’s president, vowed to rebuild. Already, neighboring churches are opening their doors, offering to let the congregation pray inside. Other synagogues have proposed new Torahs to Congregation Beth Israel.
The fire has not interrupted the congregation’s programs, and they plan to gather Friday evening to observe Shabbat, a weekly day of rest.
“We’re still here and we’re not going anywhere,” Shemper said.
Although the congregation has shown resilience, its anger and sadness are palpable.
Abram Orlansky, a congregant and former president of Congregation Beth Israel, broke down thinking about his two children and the role the synagogue plays in their lives.
“We told our children the truth: Someone did this on purpose, and it’s because they don’t like the Jewish people,” he said.
At the same time, Orlansky said seeing the outpouring of support from the Jackson community and the global Jewish community was heartwarming, and that her children were excited to help show the world that their community isn’t going anywhere.
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LaFleur contributed to this report from Dallas, Texas.
