{"id":47,"ordinal":0,"modified":"2026-04-17 19:57:31","content_modified":"2026-04-17 19:57:31","featured":1,"title":"Jewish Rhode Island","creator":"Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association (Cynthia Benjamin, Ruth Breindel, Geraldine Foster, Kate-Lynne Laroche, and Linda Lotridge Levin)","description":"<p>Jews have lived in Rhode Island since the mid-17th century. After fleeing the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal, many Jews fled to England and Amsterdam, then to Barbados, and finally arrived in Newport.  There they were merchants and set up the second oldest congregation, Nephuse Israel (Scattered of Israel), in the United States. The congregation grew to such a size that they required land for a cemetery (see Touro Cemetery tour), and eventually the congregation was renamed Jeshuat Israel (Salvation of Israel).\r\n\r\nAs time went by, the demographics of Newport changed. After the Revolutionary War, the Jewish population in Newport was sparse; Jews would not return to Rhode Island in any number until the late 1800s. \r\n\r\nProvidence was the next center of Jewish life. Eastern European Jews arrived in South Providence in the mid-19th century and settled in three areas: downtown Providence, South Providence and the “North End,” which today is the Smith Hill neighborhood.  Traces of these early communities can be seen in synagogues still standing (see South Providence tour) and in the oldest and last intact synagogue in Providence (see Sons of Jacob tour).\r\n\r\nAlong with Providence, Jews spread north into Pawtucket and Central Falls (see Pawtucket tour), and up to Woonsocket (see Woonsocket tour).  In these cities they set up small businesses and factories. To the east, in Bristol, there was a thriving, though small, Jewish community which still exists today at the United Brothers synagogue.\r\n\r\nIn Providence, there was a migration to the suburbs and the East Side beginning in the late 1940s, which led to more Jews living in the outlying areas.  This tour offers a view into the historic roots of Jewish life and culture in Rhode Island. \r\n\t\r\nThese tours show a world that no longer exists; it is historical in scope and deals with what once was.  \r\n</p>","postscript_text":"If you have any further questions or comments following these tours, please feel free to contact the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association.","tour_img":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/fullsize/a2658b41c441146ae46c413a5124911e.jpg","items":[{"id":418,"title":"The Jewish Orphanage of Rhode Island","latitude":41.85236555000000180370989255607128143310546875,"longitude":-71.3982728602494489678065292537212371826171875,"thumbnail":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/square_thumbnails/a2658b41c441146ae46c413a5124911e.jpg","fullsize":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/fullsize/a2658b41c441146ae46c413a5124911e.jpg","subtitle":"“A real home; not just another special service institution.”","address":null,"custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":417,"title":"Jewish Sites in Central Falls and Pawtucket","latitude":41.88307584082525636404170654714107513427734375,"longitude":-71.3838154823421433547991910018026828765869140625,"thumbnail":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/square_thumbnails/6671db0c61d3c20408ca2f87920fde30.jpg","fullsize":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/fullsize/6671db0c61d3c20408ca2f87920fde30.jpg","subtitle":null,"address":"291 High St, Pawtucket, RI 02860","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":416,"title":"Sons of Jacob Synagogue","latitude":41.83488849999999814599505043588578701019287109375,"longitude":-71.4171371999999990975993569009006023406982421875,"thumbnail":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/square_thumbnails/c6c71970717187a5aa1f70c7182581f6.jpg","fullsize":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/fullsize/c6c71970717187a5aa1f70c7182581f6.jpg","subtitle":"The last surviving, active synagogue in Providence","address":"24 Douglas Ave, Providence, RI 02908","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":415,"title":"South Providence - A personal history","latitude":41.8002129999999993970050127245485782623291015625,"longitude":-71.4171486999999984845999279059469699859619140625,"thumbnail":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/square_thumbnails/72d750d1bd683ee510d9a71346ba2e7d.jpg","fullsize":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/fullsize/72d750d1bd683ee510d9a71346ba2e7d.jpg","subtitle":"The South Providence neighborhood and my synagogue, Temple Beth-El, were the living heart of Jewish South Providence.","address":null,"custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":414,"title":"Touro Cemetery","latitude":41.4879674000000022715539671480655670166015625,"longitude":-71.30931461471897137016640044748783111572265625,"thumbnail":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/square_thumbnails/0e3039abf89286073885d163674102de.jpg","fullsize":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/fullsize/0e3039abf89286073885d163674102de.jpg","subtitle":"First we set up a cemetery, then we built a synagogue.","address":null,"custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":413,"title":"If these walls could talk…","latitude":41.9989139999999991914592101238667964935302734375,"longitude":-71.510750999999999066858435980975627899169921875,"thumbnail":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/square_thumbnails/f299769ebd681e41ee86837ac2bc5358.jpg","fullsize":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/fullsize/f299769ebd681e41ee86837ac2bc5358.jpg","subtitle":null,"address":"200 Greene St, Woonsocket, RI 02895","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":440,"title":"The Saylesville Massacre","latitude":41.8912078999999977213519741781055927276611328125,"longitude":-71.402647999999999228748492896556854248046875,"thumbnail":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/square_thumbnails/07a99de8bcde1087a7b9feb804f920d2.jpg","fullsize":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/fullsize/07a99de8bcde1087a7b9feb804f920d2.jpg","subtitle":null,"address":"Moshassuck Cemetery, 978 Lonsdale Ave, Central Falls, RI 02863","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":442,"title":"Hahn Memorial at Roger Williams National Memorial","latitude":41.83314870000000240679582930169999599456787109375,"longitude":-71.4108149000000054229531087912619113922119140625,"thumbnail":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/square_thumbnails/87356eae90c1f27ea93ddf324f1c79ae.jpg","fullsize":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/fullsize/87356eae90c1f27ea93ddf324f1c79ae.jpg","subtitle":null,"address":"282 North Main St., Providence, RI","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}},{"id":441,"title":"Jews in Bristol","latitude":41.66885359999999849378582439385354518890380859375,"longitude":-71.27323450000000093496055342257022857666015625,"thumbnail":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/square_thumbnails/9eca1f0356ae89a40b078aa6dfccfb16.jpg","fullsize":"https://www.rhodetour.org/files/fullsize/9eca1f0356ae89a40b078aa6dfccfb16.jpg","subtitle":null,"address":"205 High St, Bristol, RI 02809","custom":{"subtitle":null,"text":null}}]}