LEADERS of two major Jewish groups in the US are in a legal battle over the ownership of a set of Torah finial bells that were put up for sale. Legal action launched over Jewish bells. BOSTON (JTA) – Ownership of the country’s oldest synagogue and its valuable religious and ritual objects is being decided by a federal appeals court. Supreme Court Won't Hear Newport Synagogue Dispute - Newport, RI - Touro Synagogue wanted to sell one of its two sets of Colonial-era Torah bells for $7.4 million, but New York synagogue objected. The interior is flanked by a series of twelve Ionic columns supporting balconies, which signify the twelve tribes of ancient Israel, and each column is carved from a single tree. The building is oriented to face east toward Jerusalem. Other Jewish graves are found nearby as part of the Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery on Farewell Street. community corner Touro Synagogue Bells Dispute Grinds Ahead After an attempt at mediation failed, U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell Jr. allowed the suit to proceed. The hearing of the case by a … BOSTON (JTA) — Ownership of the country’s oldest synagogue and its valuable religious and ritual objects is being decided by a federal appeals court. The dispute started after leaders of the nearly 250-year-old Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, agreed to sell a set of Torah finial bells to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, a move opposed by Congregation Shearith Israel in New York City. Touro Synagogue was designed by Peter Harrison, a noted British architect and Rhode Island resident.It is considered his most notable work.
Employees Chuck Flippo, right, and Asa Montgomery walk through Patriots Park at the Touro Synagogue, the nation’s oldest, in Newport, R.I. Around the turn of the century, there was a lawsuit and struggle for control of Touro. Touro Synagogue Cemetery, dedicated in 1677, is located in the colonial historic district of Newport, Rhode Island, not far from the Touro Synagogue. America's Oldest Synagogue and Oldest Congregation Wage $7.4m Legal Battle .