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.
Connecticut's Archives Online 