Welcome to the JHSFC
The Jewish Historical Society of Fairfield County provides historical and educational materials and information about the Jewish community of Fairfield County and serves the community through its membership and its archival resources.
Please visit us and come and participate in the Society! google-site-verification: google3e3b08ba1bb82285.html
Growth and Change
1996 - JHS of Greater Stamford expanded to include the surrounding towns.
2003 - The organization became the Historical Society of Lower Fairfield County. At about the same time, the Norwalk Jewish Historical Society merged into the Jewish Historical Society of Lower Fairfield County.
2012 - The Society came to be known by its current name, the Jewish Historical Society of Fairfield County.
2014 - The Bridgeport Jewish Historical Society merged into the Jewish Historical Society of Fairfield County.
2017 - We are proud to be one of the three Jewish Historical Societies in the state of Connecticut, along with the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford and the Jewish Historical Society of New Haven.
History Is About Us
JHSFC Mission Statement
The Jewish Historical Society of Fairfield County strives to build intergenerational community through sharing and preserving Jewish history, heritage, and culture. We tell the story of the human experience through Jewish eyes.
Upcoming Programs
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
HARVESTING STONES
The Jewish Farmers Of Eastern Connecticut
Film and Discussion
In the 1890s, Connecticut Yankees wanted to sell their rocky farms. In a surprising twist, Jews who were fleeing Czarist Russia, were involved in a "back to the land movement." They figured that turning shtetl refugees into farmers was the best way to become productive, self-sufficient Americans. Funded by the German-Jewish philanthropist Baron Maurice de Hirsch, a Jewish agricultural revival ultimately settled a thousand Jewish families in rural Connecticut. The Jewish Historical Society of Fairfield County invites the community to "meet" these farmers in the documentary, Harvesting Stones.
Frank Himmelstein, a grandson of one of the original farmers,
will introduce the film.
Co-sponsored by Stamford Hadassah
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
@ 7:00 PM
Temple Sinai
458 Lakeside Drive
Stamford, CT 06903
Refreshments will be served
Free and Open to the Public
For information, contact JHSFC:
Phone: (203) 321-1373 x150
Email: info@jhsfc-ct.org
Book Talk
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
RUTH BADER GINSBURG
Supreme Court Justice
by Cathleen Small
Presenter: Dr. Judith Katz
Learn more about Ginsburg's early life, view
of gender equality, the Bush v Gore ruling and her
historic rulings on the Supreme Court.
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
@ 10:30 AM
Stamford JCC
1035 Newfield Avenue
Stamford, CT 06905
For Book Talk schedule
October 18, 2017 - June 6, 2018
Free and Open to the Public
Archives Showcase
Please visit our exhibit case with an outstanding collection from the Society's Archives.
On display at the Stamford JCC
2017 Winners
Connecticut National History Day
The theme of the 2017 National contest, was "Taking a Stand". In addition, to receive a JHSFC award, students must incorporate Jewish history or heritage and/or a Jewish personality into the 2017 National History Day theme.
2017 Winner
Claire Faulkner's entry
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2017 Winner
James Gikas's entry
Read the Press Release for information on the winners - Claire Faulkner and James Gikas.
National History Day is a program for students in grade six-12 that
encourages exploration of local, state, national and world history.
For more information, visit: www.historydayct.org
JHSFC News
Announcements, etc.
Want a program about Jewish history in Fairfield County 1654 - 2016?
Do you know that the first Jew came to Fairfield County in 1654 to buy a slave?
Do you know about some of the earliest Fairfield County Jews?
The first Jewish
resident of Stamford was Nehemiah Marks. The earliest Jewish resident of Greenwich,
was Abraham Hays, who settled there in 1728. The first Jew in Norwalk was Ralph Isaacs,
who lived there with his family in 1724.
According to historian Irwin Miller,
"There are many stories, such as the tale of Louis Drucker, the first Jew to settle in New Canaan in 1869.
He was a tailor, volunteer fireman and town constable. He was murdered attempting to thwart
a robbery, and his killer is thought to be the last man hanged in Connecticut."
And, there's so much more! Join us to discover what we know, how we know it, and
how you can be part of the continuing Jewish story of Fairfield County.
For information, contact JHSFC:
Phone: (203) 321-1373 x150
Email: info@jhsfc-ct.org
Joan Lapin, of New Canaan, visits the JHSFC Archives to donate photos, newspaper clippings, historical documents, a Master's thesis about the history of the Jews of New Canaan, and many other items from her files and scrapbooks. She is showing Elissa Kaplan, President of JHSFC, pictures of her father's grocery store, Rosen Brother's Market.
What's Your Story?
Bridging Yesterday and Tomorrow,
Will You Be Part of the Story?
The Jewish Historical Society of Fairfield County is one of the largest
secular Jewish organizations in Fairfield County, Connecticut.
As we enter our 30+ years,
we invite you to join us.
We need your help in telling your community's story
so that we can together explore it further, preserve
it and share it. Who were the first Jews in your community?
Why did they come, what did they accomplish?
How did the community change and grow?
Who were and are the Jewish movers and shakers in
the Jewish and overall community? What Jewish institutions
were established? Through our archives in Fairfield County and our programs,
library, traveling exhibit and oral/video history projects we discover and
maintain our communities' collective memory dating back to the first recorded
Jewish presence in our area in the late 1600's.
Help us capture your special story, so your
community will be included in the greater story that is the
Jewish story of Fairfield County, Connecticut.
Diaries, emigration documents,
household objects, legal documents,
letters, obituaries, postcards, posters
recipes, scrapbooks
vintage clothing,
photographs and film clips of family and community events . . .
For information contact JHSFC:
Phone: (203) 359-2196
Email: archives@jhsfc-ct.org
Publications
The Jewish Communities of Greater Stamford
This publication presents a broad historical view of the Jewish people of Stamford, Darien, and New Canaan, Connecticut and Pound Ridge, New York from the era just prior to the American Revolution to the 1900s.
An American Jewish Community 50 Years, 1889-1939: The Sociology of the Jewish Community in Stamford, CT.
This book, authored by Samuel Koenig, Ph.D., offers a unique study documenting the Jewish community of Stamford from 1889 to 1939.
Become a Volunteer at the JHSFC
Volunteers are the heart of any non-profit organization.
Please consider volunteering to assist the JHSFC with its mission to collect historical artifacts related to Jewish life in Fairfield County and with its ongoing program activities.
No experience necessary! All activities come with training . . .
To volunteer contact JHSFC:
Phone: (203) 359-2196
Email:
info@jhsfc-ct.org
