Touro Synagogue facts for kids

This page is about the synagogue in Rhode Island. For the synagogue in New Orleans, see Touro Synagogue (New Orleans).

Quick facts for kids Touro Synagogue (Congregation Jeshuat Israel)
Hebrew: קהל קדוש ישועת ישראל
Touro Synagogue, in 2017
Religion
Affiliation	Orthodox Judaism
Rite	Ashkenazi
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Synagogue
Ownership	Touro Synagogue Foundation
Status	Active
Location
Location	Newport, Rhode Island
Country	United States
Location in Rhode Island
Architecture
Architect(s)	Peter Harrison
Architectural type	Synagogue
Date established	c. 1658 (as a congregation)
Completed	1763
Direction of façade	East

The Touro Synagogue is a historic synagogue located in Newport, Rhode Island. It is also known as Congregation Jeshuat Israel. Built in 1763, it is the oldest synagogue building still standing in the United States. It is also the only synagogue building from the colonial era that is still around. In fact, it is the oldest Jewish synagogue building in all of North America.

In 1946, the Touro Synagogue was named a National Historic Site. This means it is a very important place in American history.

The first group of people who worshipped here were Sephardic Jews. These were Jewish people whose families originally came from Spain and Portugal. They likely arrived in Newport from the West Indies. For many years, they followed the traditions and prayers of Spanish and Portuguese Jewish customs.

During the American Revolutionary War, when things were unsafe, the congregation sent their important documents and Torah scrolls to another synagogue in New York for safekeeping. Since the late 1800s, most people who attend the synagogue have been Ashkenazi Jews. These are Jewish people whose families originally came from Central and Eastern Europe.

In 2012, there was a legal disagreement about who owned the synagogue and its items. The Newport congregation wanted to sell some things to help pay for repairs. In 2017, a court decided that the New York congregation owned the building. The U.S. Supreme Court did not hear the case, so this decision remains.

History of the Synagogue
The Congregation
Restoration Work
Images for kids
See also

History of the Synagogue

The synagogue's interior

The Touro Synagogue was designed by Peter Harrison. He was a famous British architect who lived in Rhode Island. Many people consider this building his best work.

Inside the synagogue, there are twelve tall columns. These columns are in the Ionic order style, which means they have a special design at the top. They support the balconies and represent the twelve tribes of ancient Israel. Each column was carved from a single tree.

The building faces east, towards Jerusalem, which is a holy city in Judaism. The special cabinet that holds the Torah scrolls is on the east wall. Above it, there is a painting of the Ten Commandments written in Hebrew. A Newport artist named Benjamin Howland painted it.

Building the Synagogue

The Touro Synagogue was built between 1759 and 1763. It was built for the Jeshuat Israel congregation in Newport. The leader at the time was Cantor (Chazzan) Isaac Touro.

The first stone of the building was laid by Aaron Lopez. He was a wealthy merchant in Newport who supported Jewish causes. Lopez was involved in many businesses, including making candles from whale oil.

The Jeshuat Israel congregation started much earlier, around 1658. That's when about 15 Spanish and Portuguese Jewish families arrived in Newport. They likely came from the Dutch or British West Indies. Many of them settled near an area called Easton's Point. The synagogue was officially opened on December 2, 1763.

Other important leaders of the synagogue included Abraham Pereira Mendes and Henry Samuel Morais.

Important Contributions

Judah Touro was the son of Isaac Touro. He became a very rich merchant in New Orleans. In his will, he left $10,000 to help take care of the Jewish cemetery and synagogue in Newport. This money would be worth much more today.

In 1946, the Touro Synagogue was named a National Historic Site. It is also connected to the National Park Service. The synagogue was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. In 2001, the congregation started working with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The Touro Synagogue is still an active Orthodox synagogue today. It is located at 85 Touro Street. The building was repaired and cleaned up in 2005 and 2006. In 2013, they held a special event to celebrate the synagogue's 250th anniversary. It was a recreation of the original opening ceremony.

Washington's Letter on Religious Freedom

On August 17, 1790, President George Washington visited Newport. The synagogue's leader, Moses Seixas, wrote a letter to President Washington. He wrote to show the congregation's support for Washington and to wish him well.

President Washington wrote back on August 21. Part of his letter said:

... the Government of the United States ... gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance. ... May the children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid. May the father of all mercies scatter light and not darkness in our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in his own due time and way everlastingly happy.

This part of the letter means that the U.S. government does not support unfairness or harm against people because of their beliefs. It says that everyone should be able to live safely and happily.

Every year, the Touro congregation reads President Washington's letter. They celebrate this important message about religious freedom. Famous speakers have been invited to these events. These include Supreme Court justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan. Presidents of Brown University, Ruth Simmons and Christina Paxson, have also spoken.

The Congregation

The Jewish community in Newport was never very large. At first, it was mostly made up of Sephardi Jews. These were people whose families came from Spain and Portugal. By the 1700s, some Ashkenazim also joined. Ashkenazim are Jewish people whose families came from Central and Eastern Europe.

The first Jewish families arrived in Newport in 1658. There were fifteen Spanish Jewish families. They probably came from Jewish communities in Curaçao or Suriname. Curaçao has the oldest active Jewish congregation in the Americas, started in 1651.

The small community worshipped in private homes for over a hundred years. They did this until they could afford to build their own synagogue. In 1677, the community bought land and opened the Jewish Cemetery at Newport.

In the late 1700s, the Jewish community sent their Torah scrolls away for safekeeping. They also sent the building's ownership papers to Congregation Shearith Israel in New York. The keys to the synagogue were given to the Goulds, a Quaker family in Newport, for safekeeping.

From the 1850s, the building was sometimes opened for worship. This was for people visiting Newport in the summer. It started opening regularly again in 1883. This happened as more Jewish people moved to Newport in the late 1800s. Many of these new arrivals were eastern European Jews.

The synagogue bought a nearby building. They used it for a Hebrew school and other activities. Today, it is still a busy congregation with many programs all year round.

Even though most members are now Ashkenazi, the synagogue is required to use the "Sephardic ritual." This means they use a specific prayer book called the ArtScroll Nusach Sefard. Once a year, people from the New York Congregation Shearith Israel visit. They hold a service in the Spanish and Portuguese style.

Rabbi Dr. Marc Mandel became the rabbi in July 2012. As of 2012, the congregation has about 175 families.

Restoration Work

Restoration of metal artifacts at Touro Synagogue

In 2005 and 2006, the Touro Synagogue worked on a project to restore its old metal items. There were 150 metal objects in total. These included things like hardware from the 1700s, chandeliers from Europe, and silver rimonim. Rimonim are special bells used on the Torah scrolls.

These items needed to be fixed, cleaned, and have missing parts replaced. A company in Newport called Newmans Ltd. did the restoration work.