Archival Donations
Donations for our collection will be reviewed by the Collections Committee to determine their relevance for the Society’s mission. Acceptance of artifacts will be determined on an individual basis and the Society may choose not to accept items that it believes it cannot maintain in proper condition, are too large, or burden the Society’s limited storage capacity.
The Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford can choose not to accept parts of a donation that either duplicate materials already in its collection, do not fit the collection guidelines, or cannot be stored in an appropriate archival environment. The Society may discard, donate, or sell portions or the entire donation at any time.
Please contact us before sending any material. If we agree to accept the collection or artifact, please fill out this form and return it to the office along with your donated material.
COLLECTION GUIDELINES
The Society’s first priority is to document the history of the communities covered by the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford. Items must be relevant to the Jewish community of Greater Hartford; the relevance may be to a local organization, an individual, or any of the following examples of acceptable materials. Artifacts from other areas may be accepted at the discretion of the staff and Collections Committee.
Desired Materials
- Family histories
- Newspapers, magazines, books and news clippings specifically regarding activities and/or individuals
- Oral histories (tapes, videos, compact discs) and other recordings relating to local Jewish life
- Synagogue archives
- Photographs, especially with identifying information
- Yearbooks, menus from Jewish restaurants, ads and records from Jewish businesses
- Letters, documents, and records of Jewish families, businesses, institutions and organizations
- Memorabilia, souvenirs, and ephemera relating to Jewish entertainment, social life, life cycle events, and community organizations
- Photographs and other media that reflect Jewish life and culture in the Greater Hartford community
- Scrapbooks will be accepted on a case by case basis. The Society reserves the right to dismantle and reproduce them.
As a rule, the Society will not accept the following:
- Personal ritual objects
- Art work
- Trophies, awards, plaques, etc., unless specifically agreed upon by the Director
- News clippings of meetings, routine thank you letters or notes
- Items unrelated to the geographic area served by the Society
RESEARCH POLICIES
We are open to the public, by appointment.
Please contact us to make an appointment. When you come in, we will review the rules of the research area and provide you with a form to complete.
Fees
We determine fees on a case-by-case basis depending on extent of work requested and intended use. Please email our archivist Leah Early or call 860-727-6173 for more information.