The Touro Synagogue here, which was designated as a national historic shrine by the U. S. Government in 1946, today marked the 200th anniversary of its dedication with ceremonies attended by prominent national personalities and Jewish communal leaders. The synagogue building is currently undergoing an extensive restoration in honor of the event.
The ceremonies included the reading of the historic letter from George Washington to the congregation in 1790 in which the first President used the famous phrase, “to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance…” In an address to the gathering, Senator Jacob Javits of New York called on Americans to emulate the courage and convictions of founders of the Touro Synagogue “by pushing toward a goal of equal opportunity for all Americans with our personal as well as public commitments clear and unequivocal.”
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