19th of
Tevet, yesterday, marked the yahrtzeit of a special person, the American Jewish
philanthropist Judah Touro (1775-1854). His good deeds were so impressive and
an example to follow for the next generations. On his tombstone, it is written
that he is inscribed in “the Book of
Philanthropy, to be remembered forever.”
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| Source: Wikipedia |
Touro’s childhood
was marked of poverty. He grew up in Newport, Rhode Island, as the son of Isaac
Touro, hazzan of the Sephardic synagogue in Newport. During the revolutionary
war, his family was on the part of the British troops and they eventually
relocated to Kingston, Jamaica, where Isaac Touro died in 1783, when Judah was
8. His mother,Reyna, moved to Boston where her brother, Moses Michael Hays was
living. Four years later, Judah’s mother died and the children were raised and
taught the Jewish traditions by Hays. They also got a basic training in
international commercial ventures, the main occupation of the Hays. Moses Hays
was the founder of first Boston’s bank.
It is not clear
why Judah moved to New Orleans. Some will say that it was a love story at
stake, as he was not allowed to marry his first cousin, Catherine Hays. What it
is sure is that Touro was never able to marry. In New Orleans, he took all the
advantages of the economic boom taking place in the city at the beginning of
the 19th century, following the acquisition of the city by the US. Touro
fought under the command of gen. Andrew Jackson and was severely wounded in the
battle of 1815, but he survived and dedicated a significant amount of time to
his businesses. His successes never made him forget how he started in life and
invested with measure. "I have saved a fortune by strict economy, while
others had spent one by their liberal expenditures.", is he quoted saying.
For instance, he never mortgaged his properties to finance other ventures. He sold
various products – such as candles, fish and soaps – to England.
He invested in a variety
of cases. He started by dedicating impressive amounts of money to non-Jewish
causes, as the building of a Catholic cathedral, some Protestant churches and
the Bunker Hill Monument in Boston which was completed thanks to his money, but
also to local libraries. Later on, under the influence of Gershom Kursheedt and
Rabbi Isaac Lesser from Philadelphia, he understood the importance of the
everyday challenges of the Jewish life. Thus, he contributed to the creation of
the Sephardi synagogue Nefuzoth Yehuda in New Orleans where he attended the
service regularly. He also provided money for the religious school, the
purchase of land for the cemetery as well as the daily management of the
congregation. He was also the founder of the Jewish local hospital, the Touro
Infirmary, that will be the biggest free hospital in Louisiana.
After his death,
he donated $100,000 to Jewish causes in New Orleans, and another $150,000 for
Jewish congregations from the US. For instance, thanks to his money the old
Newport synagogue where his father was a hazzan was reopened. An amount of
$60,000 was sent to the poor Jews living in the then Palestine. He donated $20,000
to the Jews Hospital in New York City, currently Mount Sinai Hospital. Part of
the funding was dedicated to some non-Jewish health institutions. In 1970, the
Touro College, created in the New York State is meant to honor the name of the
family and the transmit the inspiration of Judah’s good deeds.
According to the testimonies
of the time, he is one of the first Jews ever who donated so much money for
such a diversity of causes.
Sources:
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