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The Incredible, Unknown Story of Judah Touro
Touro Law Center in New York. Photo: Wiki Commons.
There are synagogues, streets, a hospital, and a major Jewish university system named after Judah Touro. His name is associated with the highest level of charity for both Jewish and secular institutions. But few people know his remarkable life story.
Judah Touro was born in Newport, Rhode Island, on June 16, 1775, to Chazan Isaac Touro and Reyna Hays.
His father, Chazan Isaac Touro, was born in Amsterdam in 1738. He migrated to the New World in 1758 at the age of 20. In 1760, Chazan Touro was appointed as the spiritual leader of Yeshuat Yisrael in Newport, one of the first Portuguese Sephardic congregations in the American colonies.
Under the leadership of Chazan Touro, Yeshuat Yisrael constructed a new synagogue building, which today is the oldest synagogue building in the United States with daily services. (It is the second oldest synagogue after Congregation Shearith Israel, the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, in New York City.) Chazan Touro was a close friend of leading Colonial academic and the future President of Yale College, Ezra Stiles.
Shortly after the outbreak of the American Revolution, Newport was taken by the British, and the Jewish supporters of the revolution fled. The synagogue closed, and Chazan Touro ran with his family to Kingston, Jamaica. He died there on December 8, 1783. Subsequently, Judah’s mother returned to the United States with her children, welcomed by her brother, Moses Michael Hays, who had helped found Boston’s first bank. She died in 1787, and Hays became the guardian of the Touro children. He raised them and later trained them in his business.
At the age of 22, Judah Touro successfully oversaw the sale of a valuable shipment to the Mediterranean, indicative of his early financial and business acumen.
Starting Anew in New Orleans
In 1801, Touro left for New Orleans, located in the French territory of Louisiana, which was then a small town of approximately 10,000 inhabitants and home to only a handful of Jews. Some conjecture that he moved because he had asked his uncle for permission to marry his daughter, Catherine Hays, but his uncle did not agree. Touro never married, but his move to New Orleans brought with it tremendous financial success.
Through hard work, frugal living, and conservative investments, Touro became one of New Orleans’ wealthiest men. Commenting on the small apartment he lived in, he observed, “I have saved a fortune by strict economy, while others had spent one by their liberal expenditures.”
He was confident New Orleans would grow and invested in properties that he bought for cash, on which he built buildings and then collected rent. The Louisiana Purchase encouraged the region’s growth, and he continued to prosper.
In the War of 1812, he volunteered with the Louisiana Militia under Andrew Jackson. He was seriously wounded during the Battle of New Orleans and was left for dead. A Christian friend and fellow soldier, Rezin Shepherd, found him and saved his life. Touro and Shepherd would remain close for the rest of their lives.
Little Connection to Judaism
Touro’s name will always be remembered as one of the foremost in American Jewish philanthropy. However, what is not well known is that until he was almost 70, he had little connection to Judaism or to the Jewish community. He had inherited traditions from his parents, but the connection was so weak that his charity was overwhelmingly directed to non-Jewish and even Christian causes.
There are records of charity he gave for churches, almshouses, an infirmary for sailors suffering from yellow fever, and for the relief of victims of a large fire in Mobile, Alabama.
He donated generously to American causes and funded the purchase of the Old Stone Mill in Newport, so that the historic landmark could be given to the town. In 1840, Touro gave $10,000 to complete the Bunker Hill Monument, which had been floundering for years. In fact, there is a fascinating poem by America’s great orator, Daniel Webster, at the dedication ceremonies in 1843, thanking Touro and Amos Lawrence for their funding of this monument:
Amos and Judah—venerated names
Patriarch and prophet press their equal claims.
Like generous coursers running “neck to neck,”
Each aids the work by giving it a check,
Christian and Jews, they carry out one plan,
For though of different faith, each is in heart a Man.
One of Judah Touro’s few Jewish donations from his early years was $20,000 (approximately $1 million in today’s currency) given to the Jewish Hospital in New York City, now known as Mount Sinai Hospital.
The Power of Caring
In 1840, Gershom Kursheedt arrived in New Orleans from New York. This seemingly innocuous event would result in Judah Touro, then in his early 70s, becoming an observant Jew later in life, a very rare occurrence in those days.
Gershom Kursheedt was born in 1817 in Richmond, Virginia to a distinguished rabbinical family. His father was Rabbi Israel Baer Kursheedt, and his mother, Sarah Abigail, was the daughter of Rabbi Gershom Mendes Seixas, the renowned spiritual leader of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York for fifty years. Gershom’s father had studied in the yeshiva of Rabbi Nosson Adler and was possibly the first Ashkenazi Torah Scholar to come to America.
Young Gershom was known for his passion for Jewish learning and Jewish causes. He was a student of Rabbi Isaac Lesser, one of the most renowned Jewish leaders in colonial America.
Kursheedt had moved to New Orleans to work in his uncle’s retail business. He was horrified at the lack of Jewish observance by Jews there. Intent on changing things, he managed to persuade Touro to fund a new synagogue that would be built on the Torah values of Touro’s parents. Touro agreed to purchase a building, which was then renovated into a synagogue that could seat 470 people.
Step by step, Touro became more invested in the synagogue and, as a result, more invested in his own Judaism. With the encouragement of Kursheedt and Rabbi Leeser, Touro agreed to pay the salary of Rabbi Moses Nathan to serve as the shul’s rabbi. After the shul’s dedication in 1849, Touro began to attend prayer services regularly. He also built a school next to the shul in 1851.
Incredibly, within a few years, Judah Touro became a completely observant Jew. Testimony to his Sabbath observance is seen in a letter he wrote, thanking local firemen for their valiant help in rescuing one of his properties from a fire. He ends the letter by saying, “Saturday, on which the fire occurred, being my Sabbath, has prevented me from sending this until this morning.”
A Battle of Wills
A few years later, in 1853, Touro fell ill and asked his two friends, Rezin Shephard, who had saved his life during the War of 1812, and Gershom Kursheedt, who had reconnected him to his Judaism, to come to his bedside to discuss his will.
He wanted to distribute the majority of his assets to charity and sought their help in deciding the donations. One can only imagine the diplomatic tug of war as each tried to advocate on behalf of the causes they believed in!
In fact, after Touro’s death, Kursheedt wrote to Rabbi Leeser, “If you knew how I had to work to get that will made … you would pity me … [There were] arguments, changes, and counter-changes in the sums for institutions, till my heart sickened.”
In the final will, Touro bequeathed $500,000 to institutions around the country, which is worth tens of millions today. Touro’s bequests were, at that time, the largest ever left by an American citizen to charitable institutions.
One beneficiary was the Touro Synagogue of Newport, which reopened and was renamed in honor of both Judah Touro and his father, Chazzan Isaac Touro. Touro donated funds to every existing traditional synagogue in the United States. Many hospitals, orphanages, shelters for the poor, asylums, libraries, and schools received funds. (Touro University, built almost 200 years after Touro lived, was named in memory of Judah Touro and his father, Isaac Touro, as they exemplified the vision that Touro University was looking to create with their educational institutions.)
Touro earmarked $50,000 for poor Jews in what is now Israel, and assigned Kursheedt co-executor with Sir Moses Montefiore of this bequest. Kursheedt traveled to England to meet with Montefiore, and the two traveled to Jerusalem to determine how best to use the Touro bequest. Initially, they had planned to use the funds to build a hospital, but upon returning to Israel in 1857, they discovered that the Rothschild family had already constructed one. They decided to build housing for the poor of Jerusalem. The cluster of houses became the first Jewish neighborhood outside the old city walls, known as Mishkenot Sha’ananim.
Montefiore later wrote a letter to Kursheedt saying, “It must be a great happiness to you to know that with your great influence with the late Mr. Touro… you have been the means to directing the eyes and hearts of many of our Brethren toward the Holy Land and contributing to the welfare of our coreligionists now dwelling in that land of our Fathers.”
Montefiore was absolutely correct. Since it was Touro’s will, it was also Kursheedt’s will. It was Kursheedt who brought Judah Touro back to Judaism and, as a result, towards Jewish philanthropy.
Touro left the residuary estate, valued at almost half a million dollars, to his old friend, Rezin Shepherd.
Judah Touro died two weeks after writing his will in New Orleans on January 18, 1854 (18 Tevet).
His body was taken to Newport, where he was buried in the old Jewish cemetery alongside other family members.
Touro’s return to Jewish observance after he was over 70 is an inspiring testament to the possibility of change at any age. It is also testimony to the everlasting impact of an individual who was upset about assimilation and cared enough about his fellow Jews to do something about it. Both Judah Touro’s and Gershom Kursheedt’s eternal legacies continue to live on.
Rabbi Menachem Levine is the CEO of JDBY-YTT, the largest Jewish school in the Midwest. He served as Rabbi of Congregation Am Echad in San Jose, CA from 2007 – 2020. He is a popular speaker and has written for numerous publications. Rabbi Levine’s personal website is https://thinktorah.org. A version of this article was first published at https://aish.com/the-unknown-story-of-judah-touro/
The post The Incredible, Unknown Story of Judah Touro first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Antisemites Target Synagogues in Spain, France Amid Surge in Jew Hatred Across Europe
The exterior wall of a synagogue in Girona, Spain, vandalized with antisemitic graffiti. Photo: Screenshot
Pro-Palestinian activists have vandalized synagogues in Spain and France in recent days, sparking public outrage and calls for authorities to step up protections.
These are only the latest incidents in a troubling wave of anti-Jewish hate crimes targeting Jewish communities across Europe which continues unabated.
On Thursday, the Jewish community of Girona, a city in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region, filed a police complaint and urged authorities to take action after the outer wall of the city’s synagogue was defaced with an antisemitic slogan.
Unknown perpetrators defaced the synagogue’s walls with antisemitic graffiti, scrawling messages such as “Israel is a genocidal state, silence = complicity.”
The city’s Jewish community strongly condemned the incident, urging authorities to conduct a swift investigation, impose exemplary sanctions, and ensure robust security measures.
“Disguised as political activism, [this attack] seeks to stigmatize citizens for their faith — something intolerable in a democratic society,” the statement reads. “Tolerance and respect are values we must defend together.”
The European Jewish Association (EJA) also condemned the incident as a hate crime, urging the Spanish government to ensure the safety and protection of its Jewish citizens.
“This is yet another antisemitic attack, part of a wave we’ve seen daily for nearly two years,” the EJA wrote in a post on X.
This is what members of the Jewish community in Girona found this morning when they arrived at their synagogue to pray.
Antisemitic vandals had defaced the synagogue’s outer wall with the words:
“ISRAEL ESTAT GENOCIDA, SILENCI = CÒMPLICE”
Translation: “Israel is a genocidal… pic.twitter.com/ERj4z1hKOP— EJA – EIPA (@EJAssociation) September 4, 2025
In a separate incident, three pro-Palestinian activists were arrested on Thursday after trying to force their way into a synagogue in Nice, southeastern France, during an informational meeting on aliyah, the process of Jews immigrating to Israel.
According to local reports, several individuals attempted to forcibly enter the place of worship, sparking violent clashes and insults that left a pregnant woman injured.
Shortly after the incident, law enforcement arrested two women in their forties and a man in his sixties, taking them into custody as part of an investigation into aggravated violence.
The charges involve attacks on a vulnerable person, actions carried out by a group, religious motivation, and public religious insults.
Local authorities strongly condemned the act and announced that police officers would remain stationed outside the synagogue for as long as necessary.
Since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitic incidents have surged to alarming levels across Europe.
Jewish individuals have been facing a surge in hostility and targeted attacks, including vandalism of murals and businesses, as well as physical assaults.
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Iran’s Alliances With China, Russia Falter as Regime Faces Growing Isolation, Study Finds
Chinese Foreign Minister Wag Yi stands with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazeem Gharibabadi before a meeting regarding the Iranian nuclear issue at Diaoyutai State Guest House on March 14, 2025 in Beijing, China. Photo: Pool via REUTERS
As Iran continues to face major crises both at home and abroad, its ties to China and Russia are proving far weaker than they seem, leaving the regime to confront the fallout largely on its own, according to a new study.
The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), an Israeli think tank, has released a report examining how the 12-day war with Israel in June exposed the limits of Iran’s alliances with China and Russia.
In the study, authors Raz Zimmt and Danny Citrinowicz note that both China and Russia favored cautious diplomacy over direct support at a time when the Iranian regime was most vulnerable.
“The policy of Moscow and Beijing, which consisted of fairly mild condemnations of the Israeli and US strikes in Iran, sparked criticism and disappointment in Tehran,” the report explains.
“It also reinforced the Iranian assessment that its reliance on Russia and China remains limited, particularly in the event of a military confrontation with Israel and the United States,” it continues.
Earlier this week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian traveled to Beijing, joining Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, as the three nations aim to project a united front against the West.
The high-profile gathering came after Pezeshkian and Putin held talks in China on Monday on the sidelines of the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin.
During a joint press conference, the Iranian president hailed Tehran’s cooperation with Moscow as “highly valuable,” adding that continued implementation of their 20-year treaty signed earlier this year would further strengthen ties and expand collaboration.
Putin also noted that the relationship between the two countries is “growing increasingly friendly and expanding” amid mounting pressure and sanctions from Western countries.
According to Zimmt and Citrinowicz, Iran has little room to maneuver, even more so now as the regime faces the imminent threat of UN sanctions being reimposed due to efforts by Britain, France, and Germany, forcing it to rely on its fragile alliances with Russia and China.
“It is clear that for now, Iran has no viable alternative to continuing its political, economic, and security partnership, as limited as it may be, with Russia and China, especially given the escalating tensions between Tehran and Europe,” the paper explains.
“Likewise, Russia and China, who view Iran as a junior partner in a coalition against the West and the United States, have no real alternative to Tehran, and they are expected to continue the partnership as long as it serves their interests,” it adds.
The authors argue that China and Russia could readily sacrifice Iran to further their strategic goals, including strengthening ties with Washington.
The study comes just days after an Iranian official accused Russia without evidence of providing intelligence to Israel during the 12-day Middle Eastern war in June which allegedly helped the Jewish state target and destroy Iran’s air defense systems.
Mohammad Sadr, a member of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council and close adviser to former President Mohammad Khatami, claimed Israel’s precise strikes on Iranian air defense systems were suspicious.
He noted Russia’s refusal to support Iran during the war, saying that Moscow had shown a “bias in favor of Israel” and that the recent conflict demonstrated the “strategic agreement with Russia is nonsense.”
“This war proved that the strategic alliance with Moscow is worthless,” Sadr said during an interview with BBC Persian, referring to the 12-day war between Iran and Israel.
“We must not think that Russia will come to Iran’s aid when the time comes,” he continued.
At the SCO summit in Tianjin earlier this week, Tehran also described its ties with China as “flourishing,” pointing to a strategic pact similar to the one it signed with Russia.
According to some reports, China may be helping Iran rebuild its decimated air defenses following the 12-day war with Israel.
China is the largest importer of Iranian oil, with nearly 90 percent of Iran’s crude and condensate exports going to Beijing. The two sides also recently signed a 25-year cooperation agreement, held joint naval drills, and continued to trade Iranian oil despite US sanctions.
“It should be noted that despite the 25-year cooperation agreement signed between Tehran and Beijing in March 2021, the partnership between the two countries remains very limited, and China does not provide solutions to most of Iran’s economic difficulties, including the need for infrastructure investment,” the INSS study explains.
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US Lawmakers Urge Trump to Restrict Visas for Iran’s President, Other Regime Officials Ahead of UN General Assembly
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a meeting in Ilam, Iran, June 12, 2025. Photo: Iran’s Presidential website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers is urging President Donald Trump to block or sharply restrict visas for Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, and other top Iranian officials traveling to New York this month for the United Nations General Assembly, warning that Tehran will use the global platform to disguise its escalating repression at home.
In a letter sent to Trump on Thursday, 40 members of Congress pointed to Iran’s recent human rights record, which includes nearly 1,500 executions in the past year, and accused Pezeshkian’s government of openly threatening to repeat the mass killings of dissidents that scarred the country in 1988.
“Immediately following the recent 12-day war between Israel and Iran, the Iranian regime escalated its widespread internal crackdown, arbitrarily arresting hundreds of ethnic minorities, civil society leaders, women’s rights activists, and others,” the lawmakers wrote. They described Iran’s leaders as “criminals” who “support terrorism” and “sow hatred and instability across the Middle East.”
The letter was signed by an unusually broad coalition of Republicans and Democrats, including House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (NY), as well as Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Deborah Ross (R-NC), and Val Hoyle (D-OR), underscoring how concern about Iran’s hostility toward the US and its allies continues to cut across party lines.
Drawing a distinction between the regime and the Iranian people who support democracy, the lawmakers asked Trump to make a strong statement against a country that US intelligence agencies have long labeled the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism.
“We respectfully urge you to restrict the Iranian delegation’s freedom of movement, and, to the extent possible, refrain from issuing visas to key delegation members, including for its President, Masoud Pezeshkian,” the letter stated.
It continued, “We urge you to take a strong stand against the Iranian regime’s ongoing support for terrorism and human rights abuses, in line with your dedication toward ‘Peace through Strength’ and the maximum pressure campaign against the regime. We look forward to working you to further
oppose the destructive and destabilizing influence of the government of Iran and support the
Iranian people on the world stage.”
The lawmakers’ request comes as the Trump administration weighs new restrictions on several UN delegations ahead of the annual gathering. According to a State Department memo obtained by the Associated Press, the US is considering limiting the movements of officials not just from Iran, but also from Sudan and Zimbabwe. The department is also considering limiting the movements of officials from Brazil, whose president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, traditionally opens the General Assembly.
The proposals also suggest that Iranian diplomats be barred from shopping at Costco or Sam’s Club without explicit permission from the State Department, according to the AP report. Diplomats from Iran have historically relied on those stores to buy affordable goods unavailable in their home country. By contrast, the memo indicates that delegates from Syria may be granted a waiver, reflecting shifting US priorities in the region.
Under the UN Headquarters Agreement, the US is obligated to grant visas to foreign officials attending UN functions. But successive administrations have imposed restrictions on the travel of adversarial delegations, typically confining them to Manhattan and surrounding boroughs. The latest proposals would go further, potentially requiring advance State Department approval for movements and limiting access to certain businesses.