"It [Touro] is not only the oldest Synagogue in America but also one of the oldest symbols of liberty. No better tradition exists than the history of Touro Synagogue's great contribution to the goals of freedom and justice for all."
President John F. Kennedy, September 15, 1963
Touro Synagogue
For over two centuries, the small synagogue standing on
top of a hill on a quiet street in the New England
seaport community of Newport, R.I., has occupied a
unique place in American history -- not only as a part
of the American Jewish experience but also as a symbol
of religious freedom for all Americans. It is here
"that the right of the individual freely and without
governmental restraint to follow the dictate of his own
conscience in religious worship could be exercised
without danger to the state"
