September 13, 1963
CANADIAN JEWISH REVLEW
11
the imposing columns. The columns which support the women's gallery and the ceiling are twelve in number and symbolize the twelve tribes of Israel. The upper columns are Corinthian and the lower ones Ionic, each one being made out of a solid tree trunk.
Dr. Ezra Stiles, a Congregational Minister in Newport and president of Yale University, noted in his writings, that the only furniture in the Synagogue at the dedication, in 1763, was the wain-scotting around the walls. This was adequate seating for a congregation that numbered, at that time, about 80 souls.
Suspended from the center of the ceiling is a twelve-branched candelabra. What appears to be four monk heads can be clearly seen at the base of this candelabra. Four other smaller brass candelabra are suspended from the ceiling forming a rectangle around the twelve-branched one These candelabra were the gifts of individuals as were the four tall brass candlesticks on the railing in front of the Ark and the two on the balustrade of the Bimah. The Ner Tamid, the eternal light, was the gift of Samuel Judah in 1765. Other gifts to the Synagogue include the two charity boxes that are affixed to the two columns at the entrance, and a clock which is mounted on the women's gallery on the west side, the latter being the gift of Judah Jacobs, of London, England, in 1769.
An unusual feature of the Synagogue and one which excites much attention is the underground tunnel. The entrance to it is at the center of the Bimah, where the Cantor stands and leads the congregation in prayer. Many theories have been advanced as to the purpose of this underground passage which never had an exit. It may simply have been used for storage.
It is suggested, however, that the early Jewish settlers in Newport, who were of Spanish Portuguese stock, wished to have a symbol which would serve as a re-
minder to their children of the persecution their forbears had endured during the Inquisition. At the same time, they would learn to value and appreciate the freedom they enjoyed In America. Underground passages where Jews assembled for prayer were a feature of Jewish life in Spain and Portugal during the Inquisition.
One of the prized possessions of the Touro Synagogue is an old Sefer Torah, over 400 years years old, which is believed to have been brought from Amsterdam, Holland. Dr. Ezra Stiles, to whom we are indebted for much of the early history of Newport Jewry, records in 1763 that Reverend Isaac Touro told him that this scroll was then over 200 years old. The letters are beautifully written and are completely legible, even at the present time.
Among the silver ornaments for the decoration of the scrolls are two sets of Rimonim which are the work of Myer Myers, the famous pre-revolutionary silver craftsman. These are of outstanding beauty and of exquisite artistry. Of the three -silver breastplates that hang on the scrolls, one was made in Galicia, Poland, about 200 years ago; one in Germany, also about 200 years ago; and the third was fashioned in America about 70 years ago. The latter is of beautiful design, having twelve semiprecious stones, with the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved under each stone, simulating the breastplate worn by the High Priest of Biblical days.
Above the Ark is a beautiful painting on canvas of the captions in Hebrew of the Ten Commandments. At one time it was believed that Gilbert Stuart was the artist. But, during the current restoration program, the canvas was taken down for cleaning and the words "Benjamin Howland, Pinx, 1828," were discovered etched on the frame on the back. Howland was a clerk in the city of Newport for many years, and a man of many talents.
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During George Washington's visit to Newport In 1781, a town meeting was held in the Synagogue. In 1790, Washington was the recipient of an address by Moses Seixas, warden of the Synagogue. In reply, Washington sent the famous letter, "To the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island", which since has become the classical expression of religious liberty. In this letter, Washington wrote "for happily the Government of the United States which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support."
A facsimile of this historic document is exhibited on the west wall
of the Synagogue. The words "to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance," were not original with Washington. They were contained in the letter that Moses Seixas addressed to him. But Washington was obviously so impressed by them, for they seemed to express very forcibly the ideals which he espoused for America, that he incorporated them in his letter.
In 1946 the Touro Synagogue was designated as a National Historic Site by the United States Government. This does not mean that the government pays for the upkeep of the Synagogue. The government does, however, send architects and engineers to make periodic inspections and to determine whether the building is in (Continued oa P�|t S�vt*tv-Ei|ht)
SEPTEMBER 13, 1963
PaklkattMi Offk*
VOL XLV, No. SO
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