A Life of the Land
The Mattatuck Museum will host A Life of the Land: Connecticut’s Jewish Farmers with authors Mary Donohue and Dr. Briann G. Greenfield on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 from 11:00am-12:00pm. As you drive past the many acres of farm lands in Connecticut have you ever stopped to think about the history of your neighbors and what brought them to Connecticut?
In the late 19th century there was massive emigration from Europe to the United States. In 1891, Baron Maurice de Hirsch set up a fund to help Jewish refugees resettle in America in farming communities. In Connecticut, Jewish agricultural communities were established in Colchester, Norwich, Newtown, and East Haddam. Mary Donohue and Briann Greenfield have gathered historical data, oral histories and historic photos to the compelling story of the Jewish farmers of Colchester.
Books will be available for purchase. Mary Donohue is the architectural historian of the Connecticut Commission on the Arts; Briann Greenfield, PhD is a professor of public history at Central Connecticut State University.
Admission to A Life of the Land: Connecticut’s Jewish Farmers is free for museum members and $10 for non-members. Join the museum to immediately qualify for the member discount. Please register in advance by calling (203) 753-0381 ext. 10.
For more information on all of the museum’s programs, events, and exhibits visit the website at www.mattatuckmuseum.org or call us at (203) 753-0381. The Mattatuck Museum is operated with support from the Connecticut Commission on Cultural & Tourism, and is a member of the Connecticut Art Trail, fifteen world-class museums and historic sites (www.arttrail.org). Located at 144 West Main Street, Waterbury, the museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Convenient, free parking is located behind the museum on Park Place.