Who was the first Jew born in Delaware to teach in public school?  Which Delawarean was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1978?  Who was the only veterinarian serving both Kent and Sussex counties in 1924?  What year was the first Jewish person appointed magistrate in Delaware? 

     Find the answers to these questions and the stories of the people behind them, along with the stories of more than 100 other individuals in Half a Chance: Stories of Jewish Delawareans, a new exhibit presented by the Historical Society of Delaware and the Jewish Historical Society of Delaware.

Half a Chance: Stories of Jewish Delawareans celebrates the freedom, opportunity and idealism of America and how Jewish immigrants and their descendants have embraced that freedom and participated in numerous aspects of life throughout Delaware.  Given Half a Chance, they became part of the fabric of Delaware life.              

Sections of the exhibit examine how Jewish Delawareans have shaped the arts, business and public service communities, as well as how they have maintained their cultural and religious heritage.   The individuals represent only a few of the many ways in which Jewish people have contributed to the richness of life in Delaware. 

Half a Chance: Stories of Jewish Delawareans will be on display September 9 through December 31, 2004, at the Delaware History Museum.

Click here to visit the
Half a Chance photo gallery

The Delaware History Museum 
504 Market Street in Wilmington, Delaware
Monday through Friday noon to 4 p.m., 
and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  
Admission is $4 adults, $3 seniors/students, 
$2 children 2-18, under 2 are free.  
For more information call (302) 656-0637 during museum hours.