Material in this collection relates to Congregation Beth Israel (CBI), one of the oldest synagogues in Connecticut, established in 1843. In 1936 the congregation moved from its previous location on Charter Oak Avenue in Hartford to its current synagogue on Farmington Avenue in West Hartford. The architecturally significant building is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. CBI is one of the largest Reform congregations in the Northeast. Abraham Feldman, rabbi from 1925 to 1968, was prominent both locally as a civic leader in the Hartford community and nationally as an important figure in Reform Judaism. Stephen Fuchs served as Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel from 1997-2011. Following his retirement from Beth Israel, he served as President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) and is a noted author. The Archive consists of correspondence, photographs, birth and marriage records, cemetery records, minutes, reports, financial records, information regarding rabbis and cantors, sermons, architectural drawings and blueprints. Of particular interest are documents related to the earliest days of the Congregation, construction of the Farmington Avenue building, and the Ladies Deborah Society, one of the first Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Societies. Several prominent Hartford citizens and leaders of the early 20th century were members of the congregation.
The Congress of Connecticut Community Colleges is a labor union formed to address the concerns and needs of the professional staff of the state's twelve community colleges. The records consist of correspondence, flyers, meeting minutes, membership lists, reports, newsletters, constitutions, pamphlets, press releases, and ballots created by the union and distributed to its members or among its leadership. The materials provide extensive information about the efforts of faculty and staff of Connecticut's twelve community college to organize, beginning in the late 1960s, resulting in the formation of the Congress of Connecticut Community Colleges, better known as the 4Cs, in 1973.
The 375 Commission was established by Executive Order 37 signed by Governor M. Jodi Rell on January 20, 2010. The Commission raised funds and developed events and festivities during the year long anniversary.
The Connecticut Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission was created to commemorate the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth by encouraging educational, historical and other organizations to develop Lincoln-related programs and events throughout the state from 2008 to February 12, 2010.
The Connecticut Association of Assessing Officers, Inc. (CAAO) is a professional organization that is affiliated with the International Association of Assessing Officers. CAAO is comprised of nearly 500 regular and subscribing members. Regular membership is open to all State of Connecticut public officials who are engaged in the administration of property assessments, including assessors, employees of assessors' offices and board of assessment appeals members. Subscribing membership is open to individuals or companies interested in property assessment or a related field. The mission of CAAO is to improve the standards of assessment practices within the State of Connecticut. To that end, the organization publishes a bi-monthly newsletter (the Assessoreporter) and the Handbook for Connecticut Assessors. CAAO is also closely involved in the Annual School for Assessors and Boards of Assessment Appeals, at which all the courses that are prerequisites for assessor certification are offered. If there is sufficient demand for a particular course, it can be offered at another time of the year. Additionally, CAAO's Education Committee sponsors various educational symposiums and workshops for assessors who are already certified.
The Council advises the Departments of Children and Families, and Mental Health and Addiction Services, and Social Services on the planning and implementation of the statutory Behavioral Health Partnership (BHP). Records are comprised of meeting summaries of the Council and its subcommittees.
The collection consists of administrative files, photographs, and DVDs associated with the formation, maintenance and demise of the Connecticut Central Railroad, a freight line that ran in and around Middletown, Connecticut, from 1987 to 1998.
The Connecticut Citizen Action Group was the first state-based consumer interest group. Created in 1971 by Ralph Nader and directed by Toby Moffett, CCAG was designed to represent, inform, unite, and empower the citizens of Connecticut in their roles as consumers, workers, tax payers, and voters. Taking on such issues as illegal business practices, utility rate increases, environmental pollution, and consumer fraud, the newly formed group was inundated with citizen requests for information and counsel. Among its major activities and accomplishments are: the General Assembly Project, an in-depth analysis of the behavior of state legislators; the Health Project, which compiled a wide range of state health care information; organizing efforts to enact the Bottle Bill, which required deposits on many types of beverage containers; enforcing environmental standards and enacting consumer protection legislation; and watchdog oversight and legal action concerning utility companies and development projects.