Garber, Delott_1979/5/9, Oral History

Subjects covered during interview include: Religious Education, Orthodox, Kosher, Labor Zionist Alliance, Poli Theater Albert Einstein, West, Hartford, Teachers College of CT, American Council of Education project Working in Education, World travel, family

GREATER HARTFORD JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION

Tape No.: 201 No. of Tapes: Name of Interviewee: M. Delott Garber, Ph.D Date of Interview: May 9, 1979 Occupation: Educator Date of Birth: Place of Birth: Hartford, CT Transcript (yes/no): Yes No. of Pages: 21

Abstract: Dr. Garber was a teacher and administrator in the Hartford Public Schools system for thirty years. In 1966 he became a professor at Central Connecticut State College and was Chairman of the Department of Curriculum Research and Curriculum when he retired in 1976. He has been an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut, Trinity College, and the University of Hartford, where he founded the workshop in Intergroup Education and was its director until 1963. From 1943 to 1967 Dr. Garber was also the director of religious education at Temple Beth Israel in Hartford.

He has been active and provided leadership in many organizations including President of the Hartford Teachers Association, President of the Hartford Jewish Community Center, President of the Connecticut Jewish Community Relations Council, and Vice-President of the New England Region of the Jewish Welfare Board. Dr. Garber has received numerous awards and citations, some of which are from the Hartford Board of Education, National Conference of Christians and Jews, National Association of Temple Educators, Connecticut Jewish Community Relations Council, WCCC, Hartford Courant, Hartford Times, Hartford Jewish Community Center, National Jewish Welfare Board. He is listed in Who’s Who in American Education and Who’s Who in the East.

His father was a former Rabbi. His home was orthodox and observant. Dr. Garber was tutored at home for his Bar Mitzvah by Mr. Nassau and Mr. Premak. The ceremony took place at Ados Israel Synagogue. His father was one of the founders of the Jewish National Workers Alliance, which subsequently was called the Labor Zionist Society.

Dr. Garber was athletic and played baseball with the Hatikvah Club, a Zionist organization together with Dave Schlossberg, Mr. Kritsky, Charlie Krat, and Dave Goldsmith. He recalled that in the early 1920’s he heard Chaim Weitzmann and Albert Einstein when they spoke at the Poli Theater.

Dr. Garber graduated from West Middle School, Hartford Public High School, attended Yale and transferred to Stanford after two years where he received his B.A. degree. He worked in Los Angeles for a couple of years and returned to Hartford to help in the family business upon the death of his father. He continued his education, receiving a Master’s Degree from the University of Connecticut and his Ph.D. degree from Yale. Upon the recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools, Fred Wish, and Annie Fisher, he was appointed as a teacher at the Henry Barnard Jr. High School where he taught for two years.

In 1938 he was asked to teach a class of older learning disabled students at the Burr School and then was appointed Principal of the New Park Avenue School. At this time he became involved in Intergroup Education and Cooperating Schools, a project set up by the American Council on Education at 18 schools in the country to experiment with the educational procedures and techniques for eliminating and reducing prejudice and discrimination. Persons participating in this project were Dr. Hilda Tarbuck, Director; Helen Jennings and Dr. J. L. Marino.

About the same time, Dr. Garber became director of religious studies at Temple Beth Israel. Rabbi Abraham Feldman of Beth Israel had a great influence on Dr. Garber. He also paid tribute to Dr. Jennings.

With his wife, Dr. Garber traveled a great deal, visiting countries in Europe, Asia, and North Africa with special emphasis on the life and work of Jews in about forty countries. He visited Israel four times and Russia, three times.

Dr. and Mrs. Garber have a daughter and son and two grandchildren.

Subject Index: Education (Jewish) Education (Secular) Civic Activities (in the greater non-Jewish community) Civic Leadership (in the greater non-Jewish community) Community Activities (in the Jewish community) Community Leadership (in the Jewish community) Labor Zionists Oral History Zionism