Touro Synagogue is a Reform Jewish synagogue located at 4238 St. Charles Avenue, in Uptown New Orleans Louisiana. It was named after Judah Touro, the son of Isaac Touro, the namesake of the country's oldest synagogue, Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island. The New Orleans Touro Synagogue is one of the oldest synagogues in the United States and the oldest in the country outside the original Thirteen Colonies.
| Touro Synagogue | |
|---|---|
 Touro Synagogue building, in 2006 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership |
|
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 4238 St. Charles Avenue in Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 |
| Country | United States |
  Location in New Orleans, Louisiana | |
| Geographic coordinates | 29°55′34″N 90°06′02″W / 29.926188°N 90.100521°W |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) |
|
| Type | Synagogue |
| Style | Byzantine Revival |
| Date established | 1881 (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1909 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 800 worshippers |
| Dome(s) | One |
| Dome dia. (outer) | 71 feet (22 m) |
| Materials | Brick; terracotta; ceramic tiles |
| Website | |
| tourosynagogue | |
History
editThe current synagogue was founded in 1881 from the merger of two older (originally Orthodox) congregations: the Ashkenazi Shangarai Chasset (transliterated from Hebrew as "Gates of Mercy") congregation, founded in 1828, and the Sephardic Nefutzot Yehudah (transliterated from Hebrew as "Dispersed of Judah") congregation, founded in 1846, who split from Shangarai Chasset. The congregations reunited in 1881 and moved into a building on Carondelet Street. Judah Touro was a benefactor of both congregations, in addition to Roman Catholic and Protestant charities. The merged congregation assumed the Touro name in 1881 and joined the Union for Reform Judaism in 1891.[1]
The sanctuary building on St. Charles Avenue in Uptown New Orleans was designed by Emile Weil, aged 29 years, and George Glover in the Byzantine Revival style, with a 71-foot-wide (22 m) dome. The synagogue was constructed in 1908 and dedicated 1 January 1909.[1][2]
A religious school building, located adjacent to the synagogue, was completed in 1928, designed by Nathan Kohlman in the same general style and using the same materials. A multi-purpose addition was completed in 1963, designed by Robert Schenker in the Modernist style. The Norman Synagogue House, designed by Mark Baum and Lyons and Hudson in 1989, is in a neutral late-20th century style using materials that blend with the original structure. In 2019, the congregation began a restoration of the sanctuary's interior,[3][4] delayed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]
Rabbinical leaders
editThe following individuals have served as rabbi of the Touro Synagogue congregation
| Ordinal | Officeholder | Term start | Term end | Time in office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rabbi Isaac Leucht | 1881 | 1914 | 32–33 years | |
| 2 | Rabbi Emil W. Leipziger | 1914 | 1947 | 32–33 years | |
| 3 | Rabbi Leo A. Bergman | 1948 | 1976 | 27–28 years | |
| 4 | Rabbi David Goldstein | 1978 | 2005 | 26–27 years | |
| 5 | Rabbi Andrew Busch | 2005 | 2008 | 2–3 years | |
| 6 | Rabbi Alexis Berk | 2008 | 2019 | 10–11 years | |
| 7 | Rabbi Katie Bauman | 2019 | incumbent | 4–5 years |
References
edit- ^ a b "New Orleans, LA ~ Touro Synagogue (1909)". Synagogues of the South. College of Charleston. 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ a b Pope, John (May 1, 2022). "Historic Touro Synagogue receives Sacred Places grant for building renovation". Preservation in Print. Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ "Our architectural history". Touro Synagogue. n.d. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ Kingsley, Karen; Douglas, Lake (2012). Esperdy, Gabrielle; Kingsley, Karen (eds.). "Touro Synagogue, [New Orleans, Louisiana]". SAH Archipedia. Charlottesville: Society of Architectural Historians and University of Virginia Press. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
Further reading
edit- Ford, Emily; Barry Stiefel (2012). The Jews of New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta: A History of Life and Community Along the Bayou. Charleston, SC: History Press.
- Normand, Eugene (2013). "A Tale of Two Cities' Jewish Architects: Emile Weil of New Orleans and B. Marcus Priteca of Seattle". Southern Jewish History. 16: 1–41.
External links
edit
- Official website
- "Touro Synagogue" (PDF). City Guide to Sacred Spaces: New Orleans, Louisiana. Sacred Space International / Tour Sacred Spaces – via PBS.
- "Touro Synagogue, New Orleans, La.: Mr. Emile Weil, Architect" and unnumbered plates". American Architect. October 20, 1909. p. 160 – via University of Pennsylvania.
- Judah Touro and the Touro Synagogue of New Orleans on YouTube