The former Jewish farming communities of Eastern Connecticut are the destination of a unique guided tour sponsored by the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford on Sunday, Nov. 2. 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Mary Donohue, co-author of A Life of the Land: Connecticut’s Jewish Farmers, published by the Society, will be the guide for the tour, which will include stops in Hebron, Columbia, Lebanon, Lisbon and Colchester.

Participants will learn how and why Jewish immigrants came to the state to work the land, as well as about the institutions they built to sustain their Jewish way of life. Donohue will also discuss the transition from agriculture to tourism, as many farms gradually became resorts, earning the area the nickname “The Catskills of Connecticut.”

Mary Donohue is assistant publisher of Connecticut Explored, a magazine about the state’s history. In writing her book about Connecticut’s Jewish farmers, she and co-author Briann G. Greenfield did extensive historical research, utilizing oral histories and photos from the Society’s archive, as well as other sources.

Cost of the trip is $50 for Society members and $55 for non-members. Fee includes transportation, lectures, admissions and a light dairy lunch.

The bus will leave from the Society’s office in the Community Services Building, 333 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford. Pre-registration is required.

To register or for further information, visit www.jhsgh.org or call (860) 727-6170.