Honoring the states we serve · Rhode Island

Touro Synagogue: America's Oldest Synagogue and a Promise of Religious Freedom

In the heart of colonial Newport, Rhode Island, stands a graceful Georgian building dedicated in 1763. Touro Synagogue is the oldest synagogue building still standing in the United States, and it is linked forever to one of the most important letters George Washington ever wrote, a promise that the new nation would give "to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance."

The cream-colored Georgian facade of Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, with arched windows and a columned entrance porch — Touro Synagogue · Newport, Rhode Island. Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0

A colony founded on freedom of conscience

Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams on a radical idea for its time: that government should not force anyone's religious belief. That promise drew people of many faiths to Newport. In 1658, fifteen Jewish families of Spanish and Portuguese descent arrived in the town and began one of the earliest Jewish communities in North America.

Building the synagogue

A century later the congregation, Jeshuat Israel, was ready to build a permanent house of worship. Under the leadership of its cantor, Isaac Touro, the synagogue was designed by Peter Harrison, one of colonial America's leading architects, and built from 1759 to 1763. It was formally dedicated on December 2, 1763. Its simple brick exterior opens onto an elegant interior of columns, balconies and tall arched windows.

George Washington's letter

In August 1790, President George Washington visited Newport. Moses Seixas, a warden of the congregation, wrote to welcome him and to express the hope that the new government would protect the liberty of all its citizens. Washington's reply became one of the founding statements of American religious freedom. The government of the United States, he wrote, "gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance," and asks only that its people behave as good citizens. The letter is still read aloud in Newport every year.

Touro Synagogue today

The synagogue takes its name from the Touro family. Isaac Touro's son Judah Touro left money in his will for the care of the synagogue and the nearby Jewish cemetery. Touro Synagogue was designated a National Historic Site in 1946, and more than 260 years after its dedication it remains an active Orthodox congregation, welcoming visitors of every faith to learn its story.

Planning your visit

Where: Touro Street in downtown Newport, Rhode Island.
Tours, hours and the visitors center: check tourosynagogue.org before you go. As an active house of worship, tour times vary around services and holidays.
Nearby: the historic Jewish cemetery, Newport's colonial Point and Hill neighborhoods, the waterfront, and the Gilded Age mansions along Bellevue Avenue.

Making a home in Rhode Island

From Providence and Warwick to Newport, Pawtucket and the South County shore, Rhode Island packs history, coastline and close-knit communities into the smallest state in the country. Beyond Financing, Inc. is licensed in Rhode Island as a mortgage broker and correspondent lender. Whether you are buying your first home, are self-employed, or file taxes with an ITIN, our team will compare programs from several lenders and explain every step in English, Português or Español.

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Sources

Touro Synagogue Foundation, tourosynagogue.org
Wikipedia, "Touro Synagogue"

Part of our series honoring the communities in the nine states where Beyond Financing, Inc. is licensed. Beyond Financing, Inc., NMLS #2394496. Equal Housing Opportunity. This is not a commitment to lend; all loans are subject to credit approval and program guidelines. Not affiliated with Touro Synagogue, Congregation Jeshuat Israel, or Beyond Finance, LLC.