Whether you’re looking to dive into the latest Jewish publications, relax with a great novel, or find inspiration in one of our rotating displays, our Learning Center provides the resources and guidance you’ll need to get started. The two-story facility includes the Deborah Library, a collection of 12,000 volumes for adults and children, the Miller Reading Room, the Abraham J. Feldman Museum, and the Marjorie L. Rafal Archives. Our librarian is Rima Yashgur and she can be contacted at ryashgur@cbict.org.
Visit us at the following times (self-checkout is also available whenever the building is open):
Tuesdays: 10:00am to 3:00pm
Sundays: 9:00am to 12:00pm
Please click HERE to complete a registration form if you are not currently a CBI member (all CBI members are automatically registered). Submitting a registration form will allow you to borrow books from our library. You can also visit us and complete a hard copy in the library.
NEW! Check-out our online catalog by clicking on the link below. Our library includes materials related to the history, beliefs, and practices of the Jewish faith, with a focus on Reform Judaism.
https://www.librarycat.org/lib/cbict
Get Cozy & Curl Up With A Good Book
As winter approaches, it’s the perfect time to get cozy and curl up with a good book. Over the past few months, we’ve added a wide range of new titles to our library collection. We invite you to stop by the library or browse our online catalog to find the book that’s just right for you. Here are some highlights:
Sisters of Fortune, by Esther Chehebar
“Sisters of Fortune is a story about dating, ambition, and coming-of-age within an immigrant community whose affection is endearing, maddening, and never boring.” – Provided by publisher.
OCT 7: The War Against Hamas Through the Eyes of an Israeli Commando Officer, by Elkana (Kuno) Cohen
“In notebooks he found on the ground in the streets of Gaza, Cohen began writing a diary. Every day, he candidly documented the sights of the war. From an honest, precise and fluid first-person perspective, Cohen presents the feeling and story of the war from the eyes of the heroes who were there…” – Provided by publisher.
An Inside Job, by Daniel Silva
“Art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel Allon must solve the perfect crime in the dazzling new tale of murder, greed, and corruption…he finds himself in a desperate race to recover a lost masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci.” – danielsilvabooks.com
Melting Point: Family, Memory and the Search for a Promised Land, by Rachel Cockerell
“In Melting Point, Cockerell weaves together diaries, letters, newspaper articles, and interviews in a highly inventive style. Constructed entirely of primary sources, with one flowing into the next, the book lets long-dead voices reanimate, jostle for space, and converge to tell their stories with a novelistic vividness and detail.” – From publisher.
Finn and Ezra’s Bar Mitzvah Time Loop: A Humorous Middle Grade Adventure Through Time, Tradition, and the Trials of Growing Up, by Joshua S. Levy
“Finn and Ezra’s bar mitzvah weekend takes on a Groundhog Day twist in this hilarious and magical middle grade novel … Winner of a National Jewish Book Award and a Sydney Taylor Honor Book!” – From publisher.
Located in the historic 1934 former library room, our museum’s collections hold dozens of pieces of Judaica, spanning three millennia and coming from five continents. Additionally, the collections holds two centuries of Congregation Beth Israel’s history, with many artifacts from one of New England’s oldest and largest Jewish communities. The museum, at the intersection of Hartford history and Jewish heritage, is a must-see for anyone interested in either or both. The Museum is open during synagogue hours. Guided tours of the Museum and the Sanctuary can be arranged by emailing archive@cbict.org.
Our CBI Library @ Home program continues under Karen Beyard's direction! If you or someone you know is not able to get to the CBI library and browse through new books and classics in our 15,000 book collection, Karen and her volunteers will arrange delivery and return of lovingly selected books to browse at home. Email Karen at kbeyard@cbict.org for more information or to arrange for a book bag drop-off.
Enjoy current issues of The Forward, a provocative and entertaining Jewish newspaper, International Jerusalem Post, Jerusalem Report, and the Ledger. We keep back issues for several months. We also subscribe to several other excellent Jewish periodicals including Lilith (a feminist perspective), Moment (insightful commentary), and Eretz (the Israeli magazine in English that comes closest to National Geographic). Current issues are in the reading room; back issues are saved in the library stacks.
You will find the Plaut Torah commentary and Torah: A Woman’s Commentary open to the week’s portion. Books elaborating the themes of the Torah reading or providing additional context are available for check-out. The study table also includes children’s books related to the weekly readings and the holidays.
Past exhibits have highlighted Jews and baseball, Jewish art and artists, cookbooks and food memories, graphic novels and comics, and our commitment to social justice. We also have a permanent display of books related to our Congregation’s history. Most recently we had a "Standing with Ukraine" exhibit and "120 Books for Every Age".
This display features books from our extensive collection on the history of the creation and building of the State of Israel, highlighting Israel's history, culture, the diversity of people and their achievements and challenges. We also included many recent books of contemporary Israeli writers. Whether you are interested in borrowing a book on Israel's founding fathers, the Independence war, great oversized photography albums, the latest Israeli novel or mouth-watering Israeli cookbooks, please stop by and help us celebrate Israel's 75th birthday.
We try to collect books listed as “Jewish Best Sellers” by Hadassah Magazine, National Jewish Book and other award winners, and Jewish books receiving attention in the American press. We buy popular and literary fiction about Jewish themes or by Jewish authors, and interesting new non-fiction about a broad range of topics of Jewish interest. We also have a collection of Jewish-themed and Israeli films.
Our collection has many important Jewish books on a wide range of topics. While our mission is more community-oriented than academic, we can help most people make progress in their quest for Jewish learning. Learning Center Director Rima Yashgur can help find information online if needed.
This beautiful space provides a large collection of children’s books for check-out, games and toys, and space for parents and their little ones to enjoy a little quiet time. Tot Shabbat takes place in the children’s room, and young congregants and their teachers visit frequently when YEP is in session.
Those who can reach top and bottom shelves in the stacks can help with shelving and collection maintenance. Computer skills, library background, or a willingness to develop new skills are also helpful.
Sue Fulleton, Chair
Pat Pierce, Treasurer
Friends actively support the Learning Center and library collections and sponsor great programs. The Friends Advisory Committee, which includes several professional librarians among its members, provide advice and consent about the director’s plans and library operations. Please email Sue Fulleton with questions, or to provide support, CLICK HERE. Thank you!
