http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=16351&intcategoryid=4BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 21 (JTA) — The Jewish community of Birmingham, Ala., is reaching out to churches that have been affected by this month’s rash of arsons in rural parts of the state.
Ten churches burned in three separate sprees between Feb. 3 and Feb. 14. All of the churches have been Baptist, and six of them burned to the ground. Racial motives are being discounted, since half of the congregations were black and half were white.
After the first six churches burned, south and west of Birmingham, the Birmingham Jewish Federation donated $1,000 from its reserve fund to help rebuild the churches. After the other arsons, that was raised to $2,000.
Volunteers from the Birmingham Jewish Community Relations Committee have been paired with each of the churches to express concern and find out how the Jewish community could be of further assistance.
The federation also plans to coordinate “personal helping opportunities” with groups like the Teen Tzedakah program.
The Anti-Defamation League’s Atlanta office issued a statement from its regional director, Deborah Lauter, and its Alabama state chairman, Steven Brickman, urging a “vigorous” investigation and stating that the churches “have the heartfelt sympathy and support of the Jewish community.”