Newport, Rhode Island is home not only to the oldest surviving Jewish house of worship in the United States, Touro Synagogue (1763), but also to the county's oldest surviving Jewish burying ground, established in the 1670s. Don’t miss this once-a-year opportunity to visit this important, historic site.
Gates to the Colonial Jewish Burying Ground will be open from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm on Sunday, August 15, weather permitting.
This historic site, immortalized in poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Emma Lazarus, features an Egyptian revival gate and grave stones for members of Newport's original Jewish community, including Aaron Lopez, one of the most successful merchants in Colonial America. Visitors will view stones that are lettered in Hebrew, Latin, Spanish, Ladino, and English, and view the final resting place of Moses Seixas, the author of the letter that welcomed President George Washington to the city in 1790, prompting Washington's historic response in which he promised that the government of the United Sates would give "to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance."
Guides will be on hand to answer questions and provide additional information about the site.
Can't visit the cemetery person on August 15?
Enjoy this 5-minute video which provides a virtual tour of this important historic site:
https://www.facebook.com/270286911250/videos/1708134756030092
More information about the cemetery may be found on the Touro synagogue website (click "Event website" link)
IMPT. NOTE: Touro Synagogue grounds will NOT be open for regular site tours on Sunday, August 15, but a Colonial Jewish Walking Tour is planned for 11:15 am on Aug. 15, weather permitting.
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