TSF Newport

08/25/2026

On August 16, 150 people, including federal, state, and local officials, gathered at Newport’s historic Colony House for the 79th annual reading of George Washington’s 1790 Letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport.

The keynote address was delivered by Rachel Laser, President and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, who reflected on the continuing importance — and, in her view, increasing urgency — of protecting religious liberty and the separation of church and state.

We invite you to watch the video of this year’s program and keynote address. We also thank Jewish Rhode Island newspaper for attending and publishing an article highlighting Ms. Laser’s remarks

(see comments for link to article and copy of event program).

This is "79th Annual George Washington Reading 2026" by My Biz Media on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

08/16/2026

Join TSF Newport for the 79th Annual George Washington Letter Reading, honoring RELIGIOUS FREEDOM and THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH & STATE. The event will be held at Newport's Old Colony House and live-streamed here on Facebook. In-person participation is by reservation only. To inquire about attending in person, please write Meryle Cawley at [email protected]

08/14/2026

REMINDER: HONORING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM & THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH & STATE
Please join us for the 79th Annual George Washington Letter Reading, Sun. Aug. 16 at 1 pm at the Old Colony House, Washington Square, Newport.
In-person seating is limited and by reservation only. The event will be live-streamed here, on Facebook: TSF Newport
📜PROGRAM - click graphic to enlarge
📜To learn more about the George Washington Letter, please visit our webpage:
https://tsfnewport.org/history/george-washington-letter/
👉 INQUIRIES: Meryle Cawley at [email protected]

08/12/2026

We are delighted to share this timely message from the former chair of TSF Newport, Laura Freedman Pedrick.

07/29/2026

🚶‍➡️🚶🏽‍♀️‍➡️ WALKING TOURS: Offering tours 4 days a week in August.
Follow in the footsteps of Newport’s colonial-era Jewish community and discover where congregants lived, worked, and worshiped in the 1700s. This 1-hour guided tour leads you through the historic Touro Synagogue neighborhood, bringing the synagogue’s rich history to life.
Sun, Mon, Thurs & Fri. @ 11 am
DETAILS & RESERVATIONS: https://tsfnewport.org/plan-a-visit/hours-admissions/...
Before or after your Walking Tour, explore interactive multimedia exhibits at the Loeb Visitors Center and browse our gift items. Celebrate over 250 years of Touro Synagogue history, Newport’s colonial Jewish community, the origins of religious freedom, and the separation of church and state in America. Discover how Newport and the colony of Rhode Island laid the groundwork for our First Amendment rights.

07/22/2026

HONORING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM & DIVERSITY
Please join us for the 79th Annual George Washington Letter Reading, Sun. Aug. 16 at 1 pm at the Old Colony House, Washington Square, Newport.
In-person seating is limited and by reservation only. The event will be live-streamed here, on Facebook: TSF Newport

📜PROGRAM INCLUDES:
- Seixas Letter Reader:
Sam Shamoon, longtime TSF Newport board member.
- Washington Letter Reader:
Keith Stokes, Vice-Chair, TSF Newport, Assoc. Director of the R.I. Division of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, and R.I. Historian Laureate.
-Keynote Speaker:
Rachel Laser, President & CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church & State.

📜To learn more about the George Washington Letter, please visit our webpage:
https://tsfnewport.org/history/george-washington-letter/

👉 INQUIRIES: Meryle Cawley at [email protected]

If you cannot join us live, the program video will be available on the TSF Newport website at a later date: https://tsfnewport.org/tsf-newport/george-washington-letter-reading/

07/13/2026

UPDATE: The recording of the July 26 webinar is now available via this YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSs2Zlsnr8U

On behalf of our colleagues with the Jewish Heritage Alliance, we are pleased to share an announcement of their upcoming America 250 national program, a webinar titled:
From Exile to Freedom:
Sephardic Jews and the Making of Early America
📅 July 26, 2026 | 1:00 PM ET
👉 This educational program is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. Program details and registration link here: https://jewishheritagealliance.com/from-exile-to-freedom.../

This program explores the remarkable role Sephardic Jews played in the early history of the United States and their contribution to the foundations of American religious liberty. Through leading scholars in early American Jewish history, constitutional law, and colonial studies, the program examines how a community seeking religious freedom helped shape the principles of liberty, tolerance, and equal citizenship at the heart of the American experiment.
Guest speakers include TSF Newport board member and Rhode Island's Historian Laureate, Keith Stokes

The Jewish Heritage Alliance is proud to present Part I: The Sephardic Atlantic — From Amsterdam to the Americas of The Western Sephardic Atlantic: Renewal, Influence, and Legacy, a four-part educational webinar series led by Professor Willem Klooster (Clark University), a leading scholar of Atlan...

06/28/2026

JOIN US ON "RELIGIOUS FREEDOM DAY" - TUES. JULY 7, 10am-4pm
TSF Newport is proud to celebrate Newport's rich tradition of religious diversity on Religious Freedom Day! Eleven historic Newport houses of worship, including Touro Synagogue, will be open to the public from 10am to 4pm. A complete list of participating sites & map are available on this Newport Historical Society webpage:newporthistory.org/event/independence-week-religious-freedom-day/
• Begin your Religious Freedom Day open house experience at the Loeb Visitors Center, where you can explore 2 floors of interactive multimedia exhibits, browse the unique gift shop, and enjoy a walk through adjacent Patriot's Park.
• Celebrate more than 250 years of Touro Synagogue history, Newport's colonial Jewish community, the origins of religious liberty, and the separation of church and state in America.
• Discover how Newport and the Colony of Rhode Island laid the groundwork for our religious freedoms protected by the First Amendment.
• Admission is free; donations are warmly welcome.
ALSO: TSF Newport offers a Colonial Jewish Walking Tour of the Touro Synagogue neighborhood at 11:00 am on July 7 (see info. in comments)
QUESTIONS? Contact TSF Newport at [email protected]

05/29/2026

WALKING TOURS: Offering tours 4 days a week in June!
Follow in the footsteps of Newport’s colonial-era Jewish community and discover where congregants lived, worked, and worshiped in the 1700s. This 1-hour guided tour leads you through the historic Touro Synagogue neighborhood, bringing the synagogue’s rich history to life.
Sun, Mon, Thurs & Fri. @ 11 am
DETAILS & RESERVATIONS: https://tsfnewport.org/plan-a-visit/hours-admissions/ -tours
Before or after your Walking Tour, explore interactive multimedia exhibits at the Loeb Visitors Center and browse our gift items. Celebrate over 250 years of Touro Synagogue history, Newport’s colonial Jewish community, the origins of religious freedom, and the separation of church and state in America. Discover how Newport and the colony of Rhode Island laid the groundwork for our First Amendment rights.

04/24/2026

Our popular WALKING TOURS are back for the 2026 Season!
Follow in the footsteps of Newport’s colonial-era Jewish community and discover where congregants lived, worked, and worshiped in the 1700s. This 1-hour guided tour leads you through the historic Touro Synagogue neighborhood, bringing the synagogue’s rich history to life.
-April: Sun. Apr. 26 and Thurs. Apr. 30 at 11 am
-May (3 days/week): Sun, Mon. & Thurs. @ 11 am
(except Mon. May 4 @ 11:30 a.m. and Mon. May 18 @ 10:30 a.m.)
DETAILS & RESERVATIONS: https://tsfnewport.org/plan-a-visit/hours-admissions/ -tours