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Research Guide to Jewish Genealogical Resources at the Connecticut State Library
| General Resources | Connecticut Resources | Archival Resources | Other Institutions with Relevant Collections | Links |
This guide is an introduction to genealogical and historical items that may be useful to those researching Jewish ancestry. For additional materials, try a keyword search for 'Jewish Genealogy' or 'Connecticut history -Jewish,' in the State Library's main catalog.
The American Jewish Archives Journal. Cincinnati, OH: Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, c1999- [CSL call number E 184 .J5 A37]. Semi-annual journal focusing on the "study of the American Jewish experience."
Avotaynu. Teaneck, NJ: G. Mokotoff, 1985- [CSL call number DS 101 .A87]. Quarterly review of Jewish genealogy.
Avotaynu Guide to Jewish Genealogy. Bergenfield, NJ: Avotaynu, 2004 [CSL call number History Reference CS 21 .A98 2004]. Contains chapters on the essentials of Jewish genealogy, topical research, U.S. research, and sources for research by country. The Table of Contents is available on-line through the library catalog.
Cohen, Chester G. Shtetl Finder: Jewish Communities in the 19th and early 20th Centuries in the Pale of Settlement of Russia and Poland, and in Lithuania, Latvia, Galicia, and Bukovina, with Names of Residents. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1989 [CSL call number DS 135 .R9 C58 1989].
The Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy. Northvale, NJ: J. Aronson, 1991 [CSL call number History Reference CS 21 .E53 1991].
Krasner-Khait, Barbara. Discovering Your Jewish Ancestors. North Salt Lake, UT: Heritage Quest, 2001 [CSL call number History Reference CS 21 .K73 2001].
Kurzweil, Arthur. From Generation to Generation: How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and Family History. New York: Harper Perennial, 1996 [CSL call number History Reference CS 21 .K87 1996].
Mokotoff, Gary. Getting Started in Jewish Genealogy. Bergenfield, NJ: Avotaynu, 1999 [CSL call number History Reference CS 21 .M65 1999].
Rottenberg, Dan. Finding our Fathers: A Guidebook to Jewish Genealogy. New York: Random House, 1977 [CSL call number History Reference CS 21 .R58]. Contains a guide to Jewish family names, lists of published Jewish family histories, and additional resources.
Sack, Sallyann Amdur and Gary Mokotoff, eds. A Guide to Jewish Genealogical Research in Israel. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987 [CSL call number CS 31 .S23 1987].
Stern, Malcolm H. First American Jewish Families: 600 Genealogies, 1654-1977. Cincinnati, OH: American Jewish Archives, 1978 [CSL call number CS 59 .S76 1978 oversize]. Contains genealogies of Jewish families who were established in the U.S. prior to 1840.
Zubatsky, David S. Sourcebook for Jewish Genealogies and Family Histories. Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, 1996 [CSL call number CS 31 .Z83 1996].
Cohen, Edward A. Jewish Cemeteries of Five Counties of Connecticut. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1998 [CSL call number F 93 .C41 1998].
Cohen, Edward A. Jewish Cemeteries of Hartford, Connecticut. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1995 [CSL call number F 104 .H362 A23 1995].
Connecticut Jewish History: A Publication of the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford. West Hartford, CT: The Society, c1990 [CSL call number F 105 .J5 C66].
Gould, Sally Innis. The Jews - Their Origins in America, in Connecticut: A Curriculum Guide. Storrs, CT: University of Connecticut, 1980 [CSL call number History Reference Conn Doc Ag 83 wep no. 3 1980].
Hirsch, Werner S. Encyclopedia of New Haven Jews. 2 vols. New Haven, CT: Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven, 2006 [CSL call number F 104 .N69 J5 2006].
The Jewish Ledger. Hartford, CT: Jewish Ledger Publications [CSL call number Offsite Newspapers AN 104 H3 J49]. Please note: Offsite newspapers are subject to the Rules and Procedures for Researchers Using Archival Records and Secured Collections and may not be available on a same day basis. For additional information on access, please see Use of Offsite and Secured Collections.
For the most part, newspapers are not indexed, so researchers should have a specific date or time period in mind. Researchers may conduct a search of additional newspaper titles held at the State Library through our on-line catalog. Try a Subject search for: Jews - Connecticut - Newspapers. Click on the link for each title to view the catalog record. From the catalog record, a newspaper title that specifies "SL Microfilm," or "SL Newspapers Micro," may be borrowed through inter-library loan for use at a local public library. Check with your local library for more information.
The History and Genealogy Unit of the Connecticut State Library holds a number of genealogical indexes to births, marriages, deaths, and burials; microfilmed federal census records for Connecticut; and microfilmed early land records for all of Connecticut's 169 towns.
Research guides to naturalization records, census records, and ships' passenger lists are also available.
The items listed below are subject to the Rules and Procedures for Researchers Using Archival Records and Secured Collections Materials. Not all materials are stored onsite; some may not be retrieved the same day. Materials housed at the offsite storage facility are retrieved Monday through Friday at 10:30 a.m. For additional information, please see Use of Offsite and Secured Collections. See in particular the following Record Groups:
RG 010, Records of the Education Department. See in particular Series 19, Age Documentation for Minor’s Work Permits, 1870-1930. Original documents used as proof of a minor’s age when applying for a work permit from the Department of Education. Most documents are from foreign born individuals, but some native born citizens had documents issued in a language other than English. Arranged alphabetically by surname and divided by language within each letter. Includes some attendance reports and some passports and birth certificates of work permit applicants. A Finding Aid to these records is available at the History and Genealogy Unit reference desk.
RG 033, Connecticut Work Projects Administration, 1935-1944. See in particular Series 8. Ethnic Groups Survey.
RG 033:8:25, Edited copy of papers on Ethnic Groups, 1936-1938. Short reports or monographs by field workers or editors on individual ethnic groups in different town or on various aspects of the life and culture of ethnic groups. For Jewish materials, see Boxes 71 and 72.
RG 033:8:29, Files on study of organizations, 1936-1940. Includes edited copies of papers on ethnic organizations, together with lists, working papers, and related materials. For Jewish organizations, see boxes 85, 89, and 90.
RG 033:8:30, Reports of interviews ("Biographies"), 1937-1940. Reports of detailed interviews with members of ethnic groups concerning their history, status, and opinions about their life and place in the community. For Jewish materials, see Box 92.
RG 033:8:34, Completed studies, 1940-1941. For Jewish materials, see Box 102.
RG 033:8:35, Miscellaneous drafts, working papers, and reference materials, 1936-1941. For Jewish materials, see Box 103.
RG 033:8:36, Newspaper excerpts on ethnic matters, 1915-1940. Summaries and transcriptions of material from leading Connecticut newspapers pertaining to ethnic groups or individuals and related maters. For Jewish materials, see Box 106.
RG 033:8:37, Bridgeport Office File, 1936-40, includes reports of interviews with members of ethnic groups. For Jewish materials, see Box 115.
RG 033:8:38, Hartford Office File, 1936-40, includes newspaper clippings concerning Hartford ethnic groups, mounted in scrapbooks. For Jewish materials, see Boxes 122, 123, 124, 126, and 128.
RG 033:8:39, New Britain Office File, 1936-40 includes edited copy, drafts, interview reports and working papers arranged by ethnic group. For Jewish materials, see Box 128.
Other Institutions with Relevant Collections
American Jewish
Archives
3101 Clifton Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45220
513-221-1875
Balch Institute for
Ethnic Studies Library
18 S. Seventh St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106-2314
215-925-8090
Jacob Rader
Marcus Center for
Jewish History
15 West 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
212-294-8301
Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater
Boston
P.O. Box 610366
Newton, MA 02461-0366
617-796-8522
Jewish Historical Society of
Greater Hartford
333 Bloomfield Avenue
West Hartford, CT 06117
860-727-6171
Jewish Historical Society of
Greater New Haven
P.O. Box 3251
New Haven, CT 06515-0351
203-392-6125
Jewish Historical
Society of Lower Fairfield County
P.O. Box 16918
Stamford, CT 06905-8901
203-487-0957
Ancestry Library Edition. Contains over 1.5 billion names in over 4,000 databases, with a focus on North America. Available for use at the State Library.
Ellis Island / Port of New York Records. Searchable database of passengers who arrived through Ellis Island from 1892 until 1924. Includes images of the original ship manifests.
HeritageQuest Online. Contains U.S. federal census records, published genealogies, PERSI (Periodical Source Index), and other genealogical resources. Available at the State Library or remotely to Connecticut residents through iCONN.
Jewish Farmers in Connecticut. An on-line exhibit presented by the Connecticut State Library.
JewishGen. The Home of Jewish Genealogy. The place to begin Jewish genealogical research on-line.
Suggestions for Beginning Genealogists - From the Connecticut State Library.
Yad Vashem: The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority.
Prepared by the History and Genealogy Unit, Connecticut State Library, August 2008.