From Philadelphia to Newport: An Early American Teshuvah (1790)

In 1790, Moses Seixas of Newport, Rhode Island, and Manuel Josephson of Philadelphia corresponded, with Josephson composing what effectively amounts to a halachic teshuvah. Josephson raised concerns about the conduct of the Touro Synagogue in Newport, arguing that elements of the service were not being properly observed. The exchange provides an important window into the religious commitments and halachic awareness of early American Jews. It also stands as one of the earliest examples of a rabbinic-style teshuvah in the formative years of Jewish life in the United States. From Philadelphia to Newport: An Early American Teshuvah (1790)