• • CRUISES • CANCUN • NASSAU • ACAPULCO •

synagogue," said Rabbi Shapiro.
Many consider it to be his mas-
terwork.
The sanctuary today looks al-
most exactly as it did in the
1700s. Because it's a historic site,
nothing can be changed without
approval of Congress. "Almost
everything you see here is origi-
nal," says Rabbi Shapiro.
Congress did give approval for
1 carpeting to cover the wide board
floor and for new chairs, which
are in authentic colonial style.
Near the front of the sanctu-
ary, the rabbi showed us the
Torah which was brought by the
original founders from Amster-
dam — an unusual Torah writ-
ten on deerskin parchment.
He also walked over to a front
pew on the north side which is
,-- known as the president's pew.
When President George Wash-
ington visited Touro Synagogue
in 1790, this is where he sat. Ever
since, it's been the designated
seat for visiting dignitaries and
heads of state, who have includ-
ed Abba Eban, Elie Wiesel,
Dwight Eisenhower, and Mario
Soares, president of Portugal.
During his visit to Touro Syn-
agogue in 1989, President Soares
publicly apologized to Jews for
the expulsion of Jews from Spain
and Portugal. "He called it 'our
worst mistake'," related Rabbi
Shapiro.
Next, moving to the far side of
the sanctuary, the rabbi showed
us a letter framed and displayed
on one wall. It is a copy of a let-
ter from President George Wash-
ington to the members of the
Newport congregation.
When Washington visited
Newport in 1790, Moses Seixas,
a leader of the congregation, pre-
sented him with a letter on be-
half of Newport's Jews, who
wanted reassurance of religious
freedom.
Afterwards, the president sent
\1-' a reply, dated August 17, 1790,
promising that the new govern-
ment "gives to bigotry no sanc-
tion, to persecution no assistance"
— words which became famous
and which in fact echo the words
of Seixas' own letter.
Every August, on the weekend
closest to the 17th, a special cer-
emony is held in Touro Syna-
gogue and the letter is re-read.
"We've become a symbol of re-
ligious freedom in the U.S.," said
the rabbi, whose narrative
throughout the tour was spirited
and informative.
After our tour of the syna-
gogue, we walked a short dis-
tance up the hill to the Colonial
Jewish Cemetery of New Eng-
land, a quiet spot where weath-
ered tombstones are surrounded
by tall trees.
This plot of ground was the
first official purchase of the ear-
ly Jewish community members
in 1677. It is the burial place of

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