Judge to speak on recent Touro case at fall RIJHA meeting

U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell Jr. will be the guest speaker Sept. 25 at the fall meeting of the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association, The meeting begins at  2 p.m. at Congregation Beth Sholom in Providence. It is free and open to the public. A social hour, with light refreshments, follows the speaker. The meeting is part of the annual Bonnie and Seebert Goldowsky Lecture series.          

McConnell will discuss the recent, historic court case in Providence between Congregation Jeshuat Israel of Newport and Congregation Shearith Israel of New York City. The court case dealt with ownership of the historic Touro Synagogue building as well as ownership of religious items. McConnell presided over the case. To read the full 106-page decision, go to: rid.uscourts.gov/menu/judges/opinions/ mcconnell/05162016_12CV0822M_CONGREGATION_JESHUAT_ISRAEL_v_CONGREGATION_SHEARITH_ISRAEL_P.pdf. 

For more information about the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association and its fall meeting, please contact Joshua Jasper at 401-331-1360 or info@rijha.org. The office and library, with its extensive archival collections on local Rhode Island Jewish history, is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. from Monday through Friday.

JOSHUA JASPER is the librarian/archivist of the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association.