Judah Touro
Encyclopedia
Judah Touro was an American
businessman and philanthropist.
of Holland, was chosen in 1762 as the hazzan
at the Touro Synagogue
, a Portuguese
Sephardic congregation in Newport. After the British captured Newport, Isaac and his family moved to New York in 1780, and then in 1782 to Kingston, Jamaica
. In 1783 Isaac died and his wife, Reyna, moved the family to Boston
, to live with her brother, Moses Michael Hays
. Reyna Touro died in 1787, and Judah and his siblings were raised by his uncle, a merchant who helped found Boston's first bank
.
At least one book about Touro has indicated that he fell in love with his cousin, Catherine Hays, but was forbidden marriage by her father, who sent him on a trading voyage to the Mediterranean in hopes of ending the romance. In October, 1801, Judah went to New Orleans, where he opened a small store near the levee, he sold soap, candles, codfish and other exports of New England, eventually becoming a prominent merchant and shipowner, particularly after the Louisiana Purchase
propelled the growth of the region and its commerce.
Though in poor health, he enlisted in Andrew Jackson's army in the War of 1812
; physically incapacitated from fighting, he volunteered to carry ammunition to the batteries in the Battle of New Orleans
, in which, on January 1, 1815, he was seriously wounded by being struck on the thigh by a twelve-pound shot which tore off a large mass of the flesh, so bad was his wound as to be given up for dead, but was saved by a friend named Rezin Davis Shepherd,a Virginian merchant.Mr.Shepherd helped nurse Judah back to health,and their close friendship continued throughout their lives. Following the war, he recovered for a year, then resumed building his business interests in shipping, trade, and real estate. Despite his many real-estate purchases, Touro made a point of never mortgaging
current properties to acquire new ones, and lived a simple life in a small apartment, remarking, "I have saved a fortune by strict economy, while others had spent one by their liberal expenditures."
there, at that time thought to have been built by Norsemen
, giving it to the city. The park surrounding it is still known as Touro Park.
In New Orleans, he used his business profits to buy and endow a cemetery, and to build a synagogue, an almshouse and an infirmary for sailors suffering from yellow fever
, as well as a Unitarian
church for a minister named Mr.Theodore Clapp whom he greatly admired. The infirmary became the largest free hospital in Louisiana, the Touro Infirmary. He was a major contributor to many Christian charities in New Orleans, as well as to such varied causes as the American Revolutionary War monument at Bunker Hill
, and the relief of victims of a large fire in Mobile, Alabama
. In a New Orleans fund-raising drive for Christians suffering persecution in Jerusalem, he gave ten times more than any other donor. One profile of Touro particularly praised his willingness to give both to Jewish and non-Jewish religious causes: "An admirable trait evinced, was the unsectarian distribution of charity, while the donor ever continued a strict adherent to the principles of his faith." His $20,000 donation to The Jews' Hospital in New York City (now Mount Sinai Hospital
) led to its opening in 1855.
Touro also participated in charity on a personal level, giving $1,500 to a woman who asked for help for her starving children and paying the $900 debt of an alcoholic man with a large family so that the man's children would be spared the separation from their parent. These stories are said to represent only a small portion of his personal giving, as he preferred to remain anonymous. Morais remarks, "It would be an impossibility to enumerate all the acts of munificent beneficence performed by Judah Touro."
At his death, his estate provided endowments for nearly all the Jewish congregations in the United States, bequests to hospitals and orphanages in Massachusetts. His bequeaths funded the first Jewish residential settlement and almshouse outside of the Old City of Jerusalem, Mishkenot Sha'ananim. In total, his will gave more than $500,000 to different causes, a sum which would equal approximately $9 million in modern terms. His will also included another bequest
, to his cousin Catherine Hays—"as an expression of the kind remembrance in which that esteemed friend is held by me." Hays, however, died in Virginia only days before Touro's own death.
He is buried in the Jewish (Touro Cemetery
) of Newport. The inscription on his tombstone reads: "To the Memory of / Judah Touro / He inscribed it in the Book of / Philanthropy / To be remembered forever."
and Touro Synagogue
named in his memory and thanks to his charity are among his more prominent legacies in the city. http://www.nola.com/175years/index.ssf/2011/08/1854_new_orleans_had_a_good_fr.html
A Judah Touro Scholarship is given at Tulane University
in New Orleans
. Among the winners of the award was the late Louisiana
Judge
Henry L. Yelverton
.
, chartered in New York State in 1970, takes its name from the Touro family of Judah Touro and Isaac Touro
(father of Judah). Judah Touro and Isaac Touro were Jewish community leaders of colonial America
, who represent the ideals upon which Touro College bases its mission. Inspired by the democratic ethos enunciated by founding US President
George Washington
at Newport, Rhode Island
when he visited the Touro Synagogue
in 1790, the Touro family provided major endowments for universities, the first free library on the North American continent, community health facilities in the United States, and pioneering settlements in Israel.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman and philanthropist.
Early life and career
His father, Isaac TouroIsaac Touro
The Reverend Isaac Touro was a Jewish leader in colonial America. Born in Amsterdam, in 1758 he left for Jamaica. In 1760, he arrived to serve as hazzan and spiritual leader of Congregation Jeshuath Israel in Newport, Rhode Island...
of Holland, was chosen in 1762 as the hazzan
Hazzan
A hazzan or chazzan is a Jewish cantor, a musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.There are many rules relating to how a cantor should lead services, but the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources...
at the Touro Synagogue
Touro Synagogue
The Touro Synagogue is a 1763 synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, that is the oldest synagogue building still standing in the United States,the oldest surviving Jewish synagogue building in North America, and the only surviving synagogue building in the U.S...
, a Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
Sephardic congregation in Newport. After the British captured Newport, Isaac and his family moved to New York in 1780, and then in 1782 to Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
. In 1783 Isaac died and his wife, Reyna, moved the family to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, to live with her brother, Moses Michael Hays
Moses Michael Hays
-References:...
. Reyna Touro died in 1787, and Judah and his siblings were raised by his uncle, a merchant who helped found Boston's first bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
.
At least one book about Touro has indicated that he fell in love with his cousin, Catherine Hays, but was forbidden marriage by her father, who sent him on a trading voyage to the Mediterranean in hopes of ending the romance. In October, 1801, Judah went to New Orleans, where he opened a small store near the levee, he sold soap, candles, codfish and other exports of New England, eventually becoming a prominent merchant and shipowner, particularly after the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
propelled the growth of the region and its commerce.
Though in poor health, he enlisted in Andrew Jackson's army in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
; physically incapacitated from fighting, he volunteered to carry ammunition to the batteries in the Battle of New Orleans
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the...
, in which, on January 1, 1815, he was seriously wounded by being struck on the thigh by a twelve-pound shot which tore off a large mass of the flesh, so bad was his wound as to be given up for dead, but was saved by a friend named Rezin Davis Shepherd,a Virginian merchant.Mr.Shepherd helped nurse Judah back to health,and their close friendship continued throughout their lives. Following the war, he recovered for a year, then resumed building his business interests in shipping, trade, and real estate. Despite his many real-estate purchases, Touro made a point of never mortgaging
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
current properties to acquire new ones, and lived a simple life in a small apartment, remarking, "I have saved a fortune by strict economy, while others had spent one by their liberal expenditures."
Charitable works
Judah Touro's lasting fame, however, was as a philanthropist. He contributed $40,000—an immense sum at the time—to the Jewish cemetery at Newport, and bought the Old Stone MillNewport Tower
Newport Tower may refer to:* Newport Tower in Newport, Rhode Island* Newport Tower in Jersey City, New Jersey...
there, at that time thought to have been built by Norsemen
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
, giving it to the city. The park surrounding it is still known as Touro Park.
In New Orleans, he used his business profits to buy and endow a cemetery, and to build a synagogue, an almshouse and an infirmary for sailors suffering from yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
, as well as a Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
church for a minister named Mr.Theodore Clapp whom he greatly admired. The infirmary became the largest free hospital in Louisiana, the Touro Infirmary. He was a major contributor to many Christian charities in New Orleans, as well as to such varied causes as the American Revolutionary War monument at Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
, and the relief of victims of a large fire in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. In a New Orleans fund-raising drive for Christians suffering persecution in Jerusalem, he gave ten times more than any other donor. One profile of Touro particularly praised his willingness to give both to Jewish and non-Jewish religious causes: "An admirable trait evinced, was the unsectarian distribution of charity, while the donor ever continued a strict adherent to the principles of his faith." His $20,000 donation to The Jews' Hospital in New York City (now Mount Sinai Hospital
Mount Sinai Hospital, New York
Mount Sinai Hospital, founded in 1852, is one of the oldest and largest teaching hospitals in the United States. In 2011-2012, Mount Sinai Hospital was ranked as one of America's best hospitals by U.S...
) led to its opening in 1855.
Touro also participated in charity on a personal level, giving $1,500 to a woman who asked for help for her starving children and paying the $900 debt of an alcoholic man with a large family so that the man's children would be spared the separation from their parent. These stories are said to represent only a small portion of his personal giving, as he preferred to remain anonymous. Morais remarks, "It would be an impossibility to enumerate all the acts of munificent beneficence performed by Judah Touro."
At his death, his estate provided endowments for nearly all the Jewish congregations in the United States, bequests to hospitals and orphanages in Massachusetts. His bequeaths funded the first Jewish residential settlement and almshouse outside of the Old City of Jerusalem, Mishkenot Sha'ananim. In total, his will gave more than $500,000 to different causes, a sum which would equal approximately $9 million in modern terms. His will also included another bequest
Bequest
A bequest is the act of giving property by will. Strictly, "bequest" is used of personal property, and "devise" of real property. In legal terminology, "bequeath" is a verb form meaning "to make a bequest."...
, to his cousin Catherine Hays—"as an expression of the kind remembrance in which that esteemed friend is held by me." Hays, however, died in Virginia only days before Touro's own death.
He is buried in the Jewish (Touro Cemetery
Touro Cemetery
Touro Synagogue Cemetery , dedicated in 1677, is located in the colonial historic district of Newport, Rhode Island, not far from the Touro Synagogue. Other Jewish graves are found nearby as part of the Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery on Farewell Street.-History:The cemetery was founded...
) of Newport. The inscription on his tombstone reads: "To the Memory of / Judah Touro / He inscribed it in the Book of / Philanthropy / To be remembered forever."
New Orleans
Touro lived in New Orleans for more than 50 years, and at his death was one of the wealthiest and most prominent members of the city's Jewish community. Touro InfirmaryTouro Infirmary
Touro Infirmary is a non-profit hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana.- Organization. :Touro Infirmary is affiliated with the Louisiana State University Health Science Center and Tulane University School of Medicine....
and Touro Synagogue
Touro Synagogue (New Orleans)
Touro Synagogue is the name of a Reform synagogue in New Orleans, Louisiana, named after Judah Touro, Isaac Touro's son.The New Orleans Touro Synagogue is one of the oldest in the United States...
named in his memory and thanks to his charity are among his more prominent legacies in the city. http://www.nola.com/175years/index.ssf/2011/08/1854_new_orleans_had_a_good_fr.html
A Judah Touro Scholarship is given at Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. Among the winners of the award was the late Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
Henry L. Yelverton
Henry L. Yelverton
Henry Lee Yelverton, Jr. , was a judge for thirty-two years of the state district and appellate courts, based in Lake Charles, the seat of Calcasieu Parish in southwestern Louisiana.-Early years and education:...
.
Touro College named in his honor
Touro CollegeTouro College
Touro College is a sponsored independent institution of higher and professional education, in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by Dr. Bernard Lander, the College was established primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage, and to serve the larger American community...
, chartered in New York State in 1970, takes its name from the Touro family of Judah Touro and Isaac Touro
Isaac Touro
The Reverend Isaac Touro was a Jewish leader in colonial America. Born in Amsterdam, in 1758 he left for Jamaica. In 1760, he arrived to serve as hazzan and spiritual leader of Congregation Jeshuath Israel in Newport, Rhode Island...
(father of Judah). Judah Touro and Isaac Touro were Jewish community leaders of colonial America
Colonial America
The colonial history of the United States covers the history from the start of European settlement and especially the history of the thirteen colonies of Britain until they declared independence in 1776. In the late 16th century, England, France, Spain and the Netherlands launched major...
, who represent the ideals upon which Touro College bases its mission. Inspired by the democratic ethos enunciated by founding US President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
at Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
when he visited the Touro Synagogue
Touro Synagogue
The Touro Synagogue is a 1763 synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, that is the oldest synagogue building still standing in the United States,the oldest surviving Jewish synagogue building in North America, and the only surviving synagogue building in the U.S...
in 1790, the Touro family provided major endowments for universities, the first free library on the North American continent, community health facilities in the United States, and pioneering settlements in Israel.
Further reading
- Adelman, David C. Life and times of Judah Touro. [Newport] Touro Fraternal Association, 1936.
- Gutstein, Morris A. Aaron Lopez and Judah Touro: A refugee and a son of a refugee. New York, Behrman’s Jewish Book House, 1939. (An earlier version of this book was published in 1931 under the title Aaron Lopez and Judah Touro.)
- Gutstein, Morris. "The Touro family in Newport." Newport Historical Society, no. 94, 1935, p. 1-39.
- Huhner, Leon. The life of Judah Touro (1775-1854). Philadelphia, Jewish Publication Society of America, 1946.