Exterior of Touro Synagogue

photo by: Lew Keen

Historic Sites

Touro Synagogue

A Distinctive Destination
  • Constructed: 1759
  • Architect: Peter Harrison
  • Address: 85 Touro Street
    Newport, Rhode Island 02840
  • Hours
    Sunday–Friday
    10:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
  • Phone 401-847-4794

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Touro Synagogue, dedicated in 1763, is the oldest synagogue building in the United States. A structure of exquisite beauty and design, steeped in history and ideals, the synagogue is considered one of the ten most architecturally distinguished buildings of 18th century America and the most historically significant Jewish building in the United States.

The congregation was founded in 1658 by the descendants of Jewish families who had fled the Inquisitions in Spain and Portugal and who themselves left the Caribbean seeking the greater religious tolerance that Rhode Island offered.

In his famous letter to the “Hebrew congregation at Newport,” written in 1790, President George Washington pledged that our new nation would give “to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.” With those words, he set the standard for religious freedom and civil liberties in the United States. Therefore, Touro Synagogue stands as a symbol of religious freedom for all Americans not just Jewish Americans.

“To bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.”

George Washington's Letter to the Jews of Newport, Rhode Island, 1790

Touro Synagogue was designated a National Historic Site in 1946. The Ambassador John L. Loeb Jr. Visitors Center opened in 2009 with exhibits to further explore the history of Newport's early Jewish community and the origins of First Amendment rights. Each year, over 30,000 visitors cross the synagogue threshold to pray, see its magnificent interior, and hear its remarkable story.

Touro Synagogue

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Discounted admission - $8 for National Trust Members

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