Arson Attack Rocks Florida Community Just Days Before Rosh Hashanah

At 9:10 p.m. on Sept. 19, the security footage captured Rabbi Simon Jacobson, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Charlotte County, exiting the synagogue after Shabbat services. Ninety minutes later, Jacobson’s phone rang. By the third ring, unease had crept in.

Being Shabbat—and hearing repeated calls at that late hour—Jacobson feared an emergency. He glanced at the screen: Punta Gorda Police Department.

The quaint city of Punta Gorda is nestled on Florida’s west coast. Perched at the narrow end of a funnel-shaped estuary that traps and amplifies storm surge, the city is highly vulnerable to hurricanes. Yet beyond its storms, the city is known for peace and quiet; in 2016, it ranked as the second-safest city in Florida.

Spooked by the phone call, Jacobson rushed toward the synagogue. Before he could leave his driveway, an officer framed by flashing red-and-blue lights, appeared at his steps. He delivered grim news: There had been a fire at the synagogue, suspected arson. The building was now a crime scene.

By the time Jacobson reached the synagogue, the fire was out. The only evidence of the blaze was the lingering smoke and a smell of melted fluorescent lighting. A police officer approached and asked if the letter “J” had been previously spray-painted in black on the synagogue’s wall and sidewalk. He then asked whether a classroom window had already been broken.

As the night unfolded, fire marshals confirmed the fire had been started with intention. Someone had shattered a Hebrew-school classroom window, poured fuel inside and ignited it. The classroom burned badly, while the rest of the building was left scarred by smoke damage.

It was 72 hours before Rosh Hashanah.

The arsonist shattered a Hebrew-school classroom window, poured fuel inside and ignited it. The classroom burned significantly, while the rest of the building was left scarred by smoke damage.

“As soon as I was allowed back into the building, I decided to do everything in my power to hold Rosh Hashanah here,” Jacobson recalls.

By morning, the news had spread through town. “It was a somber yet meaningful Shabbat,” he recalls. People from all walks of life stopped by to check in and offer comfort to the Jewish community.

Immediately after Shabbat ended, preparations began. While the mitigation team tackled the odor, community members arrived one after another to help with the cleanup. Non-Jewish neighbors leaving their own places of worship stopped by to show their support. One man approached Jacobson and said simply, “We’re not Jewish, but we need you here.”

Stability in Uncertain Times

After Category 4 Hurricane Charley tore through Punta Gorda in 2004, Jacobson and his wife, Sheina, founded Chabad of Charlotte County, providing support for the Jewish community.

After 18 years of steady growth, Chabad purchased a new building, moving in just as Rosh Hashanah approached in 2022. The day after the holiday, Hurricane Ian made landfall, forcing the community to evacuate just hours after the conclusion of the festival. In 2024, days before Yom Kippur, Hurricane Milton struck, flooding the synagogue and causing heavy damage to the synagogue just as the High Holidays approached.

Despite repeatedly being knocked off balance, Chabad of Charlotte County has managed not only to return to baseline but to push further.

“Thank G‑d, throughout all of this we’ve managed to rebuild, repair and keep our activities going,” Jacobson explains. “Last year, we had Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in the shul, ran regular Sukkot programs, and Hebrew school continued as usual. Over the summer, we made a lot of progress with the repairs. Not just bringing it back to what it was but enhancing and beautifying the building.”

On Sept. 22nd, a family member of 31-year-old Blake Hoover contacted law enforcement regarding the arson. A search of Hoover’s residence uncovered a gas tank and a spray-paint can that linked him to the crime. He was arrested that day, and has been charged in federal court with arson. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison.

When the rabbi arrived at the still-damaged synagogue hours before services, he found flowers lying at the front door. Inside, as air scrubbers hummed and the air filters whispered, a packed room gathered in prayer. Jews who had never entered a shul in their lives felt called to join. “We had a beautiful Rosh Hashanah. Each day, even more people came specifically because of this hate crime,” Jacobson says.

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FILE PHOTO: Jews who had never entered a synagogue in their lives felt the need to join Rosh Hashanah at Chabad of Charlotte County. “We had a beautiful Rosh Hashanah. Each day, even more people came specifically because of this hate crime,” Jacobson says.