This Tzedakah Box is a stunning replica of the Touro Synagogue of Newport, Which Is a National Landmark 
Made from highly detailed resin 
Hand Painted 
Perfect presentation piece for home or office 
Size 6 x 6 x 5 inches 
 
 
This Tzedakah box captures the classic beauty of the 'Touro Synagogue' of Newport, RI. Built in 1658 by Jewish merchants from Barbados, this synagogue is the oldest in America. This Tzedakah box is hand painted and made from high quality resin. By Reuven Masel Size : 6" x 6" x 5" in History of The Synagogue: Congregation Jeshuit Israel was established in Newport Rhode Island in the year 1658. The Jewish settlers were Sephardic merchants from Barbados . By 1680 the Jewish community numbered eight families. They owned a cemetery and created a school. All that was missing was a synagogue. Touro Synagogue was named after the congregations' first “chazzan” (reader) Reverend Isaac de Touro. He arrived from Amsterdam in 1758, and provided fresh stimulus to the Jewish community, which had worshipped in private houses for over one hundred years. His sons, Abraham and Judah, were later to be major benefactors of the Synagogue. Under the leadership of Isaac Touro, the ground was broken for the new Synagogue on August 1, 1759 . It was dedicated in 1763. The exterior of the building does not resemble any Jewish house of worship. This was intended as a security device. Inside there are twelve columns supporting the women's gallery, representing the twelve tribes of Israel . The bemah (reading platform), contains a trap door which leads to a secret passageway. Some say the congregants were descendants of Marranos, Jews who had been forced to convert to Christianity in 1492. They designed the trap door in case of emergency. When George Washington visited Newport in 1781, a town meeting was held in the Synagogue. In 1946, Congress proclaimed Touro Synagogue a National Historic Site .Touro is the oldest standing Synagogue still in use in the United States . . . .