Exterior of historic Touro Synagogue in New Orleans.

Touro Synagogue’s “Lifting the Sky” Campaign in New Orleans

By Ann Kendall

Touro’s History

Built in 1909, Touro Synagogue serves over 600 member families from its historic location on New Orleans’s St. Charles Avenue. An active presence in the neighborhood, Touro hosts events such as Jazz Fest Shabbat, incubates charter schools, and shares space with community organizations. With social justice-focused values, Touro shines as a beacon for all, beyond its physical location. But by 2020 the over-100-year-old synagogue building required modernization and improvements to continue serving the congregation’s mission.

Touro’s Historic Buildings and Community Impact

Touro’s sanctuary welcomes congregants and visitors to worship under its light-filled, clear span dome. Outside, geometric windows nestled into the dome’s curvature illuminate St. Charles Avenue at night. Touro’s landmark location in the heart of this famous New Orleans neighborhood, with its streetcars and historic homes, reflects its congregational history dating back to 1928. Over the years adjacent buildings were added to its campus, including a school building (1828), a multi-purpose addition (1963), and the Norman Synagogue House (1989). Renovations of the sanctuary’s interior spaces took place in 1999.

For years, Touro has opened up its building to serve both members and the larger community.  The congregation hosts a myriad of arts events, is a full participant in the annual Mardi Gras festivities, and contributes to food programs addressing hunger needs.  The congregation’s economic impact — its “Halo Effect” in the community — was estimated to be $3.8 million annually in 2023, when the synagogue hosted a school serving local children.

Touro and Partners Meet

Conversations between Partners for Sacred Places and Touro began in 2017, when then synagogue president Terri Hunter met Gianfranco Grande, Partners’ Executive Vice President, during a historic preservation discussion at nearby Tulane University. Upon visiting Touro, Gianfranco and Terri discussed Touro’s assets – the current and potential community impact of the congregation’s physical spaces – and the possibility of pursuing a National Fund for Sacred Places grant. The congregational leaders decided to apply to the National Fund and aimed to illustrate both Touro’s needs and role as a community gathering place, serving those beyond its membership, in their application.

Discerning Support for a Capital Campaign

The National Fund awarded Touro a matching grant, making it the second synagogue to receive funding through the program. As part of the technical assistance provided by the Fund, Partners led a feasibility study for Touro, interviewing both members and community leaders to ascertain the viability of a capital campaign. The interviews covered four key areas: how Touro members perceived the synagogue; congregational capacity to undertake a capital campaign; giving potential of members (and already interested donors); and potential community investment in the synagogue.

Overall, 48 interviews were conducted in fall of 2020. Congregational leadership reviewed constituents’ answers to determine potential project priorities and fundraising potential, and created a strategic plan based on the congregation’s strengths.

Preparing a Case for Funding

In conversations with Partners, 38% of interviewees expressed interest in giving, providing a solid base for a funding appeal. Based on this initial enthusiasm, Partners centered the feasibility plan on 100% congregational support at varying levels, including high-capacity donors, setting the initial campaign goal at $2.3-2.5 million. The capital campaign focused on educating both the congregation and the wider New Orleans community on the synagogue building’s maintenance needs and role as a community hub. Reaching beyond the congregation in the campaign proved tremendously important. Touro leveraged existing congregational relationships with community organizations and the Jewish community at-large in greater New Orleans to great success.

$5.25 Million Raised

Touro launched, with Partners’ assistance and guidance, a three-year campaign with a goal of $2.5 million. It was so successful that the congregation extended the campaign to a five-year plan with a goal of $5.5 million. By late summer 2024, Touro had raised $5.25M, far exceeding the original goal set in 2021. This success enabled the congregation to improve its building — installing an elevator to assist with accessibility, replacing aged roofing and HVAC systems, restoring stained glass windows, renovating classrooms, adding library and study spaces, and creating the synagogue’s first-ever lobby.

The transcription on Touro’s donor wall reads, “In gratitude to our donors who strengthened this shelter of peace for generations to come,” encapsulating the congregation’s goal achieved in this campaign: to build and sustain a spiritual, welcoming home for the community, where justice and peace permeate its physical spaces.

Jazzfest Shabbat concert at Touro Synagogue.