Judah Touro was a Jewish philanthropist who gave generously to Jewish and non-Jewish causes in the US, the Holy Land, and beyond.
He was born in 1775 in Newport, Rhode Island, where his father, Rabbi Isaac Touro, served in the local synagogue, which would eventually be named Touro Synagogue, the oldest Jewish place of worship in the U.S.
Judah Touro sailed far and wide on business before settling in New Orleans, where he became a successful merchant.
When the war of 1812 broke out, he enlisted and served bravely until a wound to his leg kept him from the battlefield.
Although he lived frugally and simply, he gained international renown as a philanthropist of the highest order.
His generosity extended from his adopted hometown of New Orleans to his birthplace of Newport. Synagogues, hospitals, and individuals in personal crisis were given huge sums of money. It is said that he went so far as to purchase slaves in order to free them.
Touro never married. When he passed away in 1854, he left his wealth to an array of charitable institutions, including almost every synagogue in the US. In Jerusalem, his bequest of $50,000, to be spent at the discretion of Sir Moses Montefiore, funded the genesis of the first Jewish neighborhood outside of the city walls, where overcrowding and filth created hazardous and cramped living conditions.
Since much of his giving was anonymous, the full extent of his largess will perhaps never be known to history. May his memory be a blessing.
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