Hart Family

Sidney Hart and Rae (sometimes called Rachel or Ray) Harris Hart were the owners of Hart Furs on Pearl Street in Hartford and Harris Women’s Apparel Shop on State Street in New London. The Harts had two children, Edith, who married William Wrubel of Middletown, and Jack (sometimes called Jacob).

The Hart family were residents of West Hartford and members Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford. Both Edith and Jack were confirmed at Beth Israel. The Harts lived in a two family house on Farmington Ave. They also owned another house near the beach in New London.

Sidney Hart was born in Poland and grew up in England. According to Marjorie Rafal’s history of Congregation Beth Israel, The Way We Were, Sidney’s mother was dressmaker to the queen. Rae Harris Hart was born in Glasgow, Scotland.

The collection consists primarily of correspondence received by Jack Hart as a teenager and young adult. Jack Hart attended William Hall High School in West Hartford, but spent his senior year at Suffield Academy.

Of particular note are the letters received by Jack Hart during the 1940s while he was serving in the army during World War II and after his return to the United States. Hart was stationed overseas during the war. He returned to the United States in 1945 and spent several months in Cushing Memorial Hospital recovering from a back injury before re-settling in Hartford. After the war, Jack managed the Hartford store briefly and later sold real estate. He was married twice, and had two stepchildren. He died in 1999.

The majority of the letters are from Jack Hart’s women friends. During World War II, young women were encouraged to write to the men serving in the military. Vocalist Kate Smith reportedly said, “If you don’t write, you’re wrong.” Such letters were typically breezy and chatty and rarely mention the horrors and anguish of war.

The largest number of letters in the Hart collection are from Blanche Berkowitz, who lived in Washington DC throughout the war. Later she moved to New York City. Her letters provide a lively look at the working conditions and social life of a young Jewish woman on the home front.

The collection also contains letter from Hart’s mother Rae Hart, his sister, Mrs. Edith Wrubel, and other family members in both the United States and England. These letters give details of the family’s life in Connecticut and discussions of the furrier and clothing business.

The collection also contains a smaller number of letters from male friends and fellow servicemen.

Edith Hart Wrubel’s brother in law was Allie Wrubel, a songwriter from Middletown, Connecticut who earned an academy award for the song, “Zippity-Do-Dah.”