The current synagogue was founded in 1881 from the merger of two older (originally Orthodox) congregations: the AshkenaziShangarai Chasset (transliterated from Hebrew as "Gates of Mercy") congregation, founded in 1828, and the Sephardic Nefutzot Yehudah (transliterated from Hebrew as "Dispersed of Judah") congregation, founded in 1846, who split from Shangarai Chasset. The congregations reunited in 1881 and moved into a building on Carondelet Street. Judah Touro was a benefactor of both congregations, in addition to Roman Catholic and Protestant charities. The merged congregation assumed the Touro name in 1881 and joined the Union for Reform Judaism in 1891.[1]
The sanctuary building on St. Charles Avenue in Uptown New Orleans was designed by Emile Weil, aged 29 years, and George Glover in the Byzantine Revival style, with a 71-foot-wide (22 m) dome. The synagogue was constructed in 1908 and dedicated 1 January 1909.[1][2]
A religious school building, located adjacent to the synagogue, was completed in 1928, designed by Nathan Kohlman in the same general style and using the same materials. A multi-purpose addition was completed in 1963, designed by Robert Schenker in the Modernist style. The Norman Synagogue House, designed by Mark Baum and Lyons and Hudson in 1989, is in a neutral late-20th century style using materials that blend with the original structure. In 2019, the congregation began a restoration of the sanctuary's interior,[3][4] delayed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]
Ford, Emily; Barry Stiefel (2012). The Jews of New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta: A History of Life and Community Along the Bayou. Charleston, SC: History Press.
Normand, Eugene (2013). "A Tale of Two Cities' Jewish Architects: Emile Weil of New Orleans and B. Marcus Priteca of Seattle". Southern Jewish History. 16: 1–41.
