Behind these gates lies the Touro Synagogue Cemetery, also called the Jewish Cemetery at Newport, tucked in Newport's colonial historic district not far from the Touro Synagogue. Dedicated in 1677 (and possibly earlier), this is the second oldest Jewish cemetery in the country. The gates are decorated with torches turned to face downward, an acknowledgment of the ending of life's flame.
In the Newport land records a deed recorded on 28 Feb 1677 documents a 30-feet-square parcel sold by Nathaniel Dickens to Mordecai Campannall and Moses Packechoe as a burial-place for the Jews of Newport — perhaps an addition to an existing burial ground. For generations, before Temple Ohabei Shalom Cemetery opened in Boston in 1844, Jewish families from Massachusetts were sent here. Today the cemetery opens to the public only once per year, so your visit feels privileged and hushful.
Nearby, other Jewish graves lie in the Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery on Farewell Street, reminders of a wider community that anchored Newport. Notice the gravity of centuries here, the gate's downward torches, and the stones and streets stretching past you.