Touro Synagogue
The Touro Synagogue is one of the oldest synagogues in the United States, as well as the only synagogue that has survived from the colonial era. It is located in Newport, Rhode Island .
history
In 1658 the first Jewish settlers came to Newport. About 15 families came from Barbados , where a Jewish community had sprung up decades before . These originally came from Spain and Portugal . In 1677 a Jewish cemetery was established in Newport.
Colonial times
At the beginning of the 18th century the community gained in importance. In 1758 it was decided to build a new synagogue. The planning of the synagogue was carried out by the British architect Peter Harrison. Construction began in 1759 and the synagogue was completed in 1762.
After the declaration of independence in 1776
Due to the American Revolutionary War , Newport, which previously enjoyed a similar level of prosperity as Boston and New York City , lost its importance and the membership of the Jewish community declined. As a result, the community eventually became too small to operate the synagogue. Ultimately, they were forced to dissolve the synagogue and hand over the Torah scrolls to the Orthodox Jewish community of Shearith Israel in New York . The synagogue was only used on public holidays and funerals. It was not until 1850 that the synagogue was occasionally used again. In particular, immigrants from Eastern Europe were able to revive the Jewish community and finally the synagogue was reopened in 1883.
literature
- Kerry M. Olitzky: The American Synagogue. A historical dictionary and sourcebook . Greenwood Press, Westport, Conn. 1996, ISBN 0-313-28856-9 .
Web links
- www.tourosynagogue.org Official Site (Engl.)
Coordinates: 41 ° 29 ′ 22 " N , 71 ° 18 ′ 43" W.