Bombing of the Hebrew Benevolent Congregation Temple
| Hebrew Benevolent Congregation Temple bombing | |
|---|---|
| Location | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Date | October 12, 1958 |
| Target | Hebrew Benevolent Congregation (Reform Jewish temple) |
|
Attack type
|
Dynamite bombing |
| Perpetrators | unknown |
| Motive | apparently anti-Semitism; group involved was likely white supremacist |
The Hebrew Benevolent Congregation Temple bombing occurred on October 12, 1958. The Temple, on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia, housed a Reform Jewish congregation. The building was damaged extensively by the dynamite-fueled explosion, although no one was injured. Five suspects were arrested almost immediately after the bombing. One of them, George Bright, was tried twice. His first trial ended with a hung jury and his second with an acquittal. As a result of Bright's acquittal the other suspects were not tried, and no one was ever convicted of the bombing.
The day after the bombing, Atlanta Constitution editor and outspoken voice of moderation on civil rights issues Ralph McGill tied the bombing to the ongoing civil rights movement in a famous,Pulitzer prize-winning editorial that was quoted extensively in The New York Times. Jacob Rothschild, the temple's rabbi since 1946, was a highly visible and early advocate of civil rights and integration, supporter of the United States Supreme Court's decision ending school segregation in Brown v. Board of Education, and friend of Martin Luther King Jr.
Rothschild not only took an activist role in the struggle for racial equality, but, unlike some other pro-integration southern rabbis, was supported in his stance by a significant number of his congregants. The bombing ripped the delicate social fabric of Atlanta, which called itself the "city too busy to hate," although it also elicited widespread support for Rothschild and the Temple from Jewish and non-Jewish Atlantans alike. For instance, by early November 1958, the Temple had received over $12,000 in donations to its rebuilding fund.
The explosion occurred just after 3:30 AM Eastern Standard Time on October 12, 1958. Those who heard the blast reported a "loud explosion" to police and newspapers. A United Press International (UPI) staff member had received a call earlier that night warning that a bombing would occur, but did not take the call seriously. At about 3:50 AM, shortly after the bombing, UPI staff received a call from "General Gordon of the Confederate Underground" who said "We have just blown up the temple. This is the last empty building I'll blow up in Atlanta." The explosion caused damage to the building estimated at between $100,000 and $200,000.
...
Wikipedia