By Diane Wolf, Co-Chair for the Jewish Historical Society of Delaware’s 50th Anniversary, with editorial assistance from Suzanne Stone
This is the second part of a three part history of Jewish recreation in Delaware. Part three will focus on the Siegel Jewish Community Center (J). The first part focused on the YM-YWHA (Y) and ended with the opening of the J on Garden of Eden Road in 1970. The development of the Brandywine Country Club was mentioned in passing.
Brandywine Country Club
In the 1940s, Saul Cohen led the effort to found the Brandywine Country Club (BCC). At that time, Jews were not allowed to be members of any private country clubs in Delaware. On June 16, 1946 ground breaking and renovation of the main building of the farmhouse started. By November the club boasted 169 members.
In 1971, in an article about private clubs, a Wilmington bank president reported that bank officers were required to join at least one country club, preferably the Wilmington, Biderman, or Greenville clubs. The few Jewish bank officers at the time had no choice but to join the BCC. In addition to sports, the BCC was home to celebrations of Jewish weddings and other life cycle events.
Redesigned in 2005, the course became challenging, tight, and tree-lined. Also offered were a large putting green, a driving range, and a short game practice area. Members also enjoyed the four tennis courts and an Olympic-sized pool. Despite these improvements, membership lagged and the BCC fell into disrepair. The land on Shipley Road was sold to a developer in 2012, but development was delayed for over a decade.
Fraternities & Sororities & BBYO
The Rho Deuteron chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi was founded in April, 1947 at the University of Delaware (UD) and disbanded in 1969. The chapter reopened and closed twice in the following decades. The chapter has been restored and has remained active. The chapter participates in UDance, an annual dance marathon that raises funds to fight childhood cancer. The members participate in intramural teams including football, basketball, soccer, and even wiffle ball.
Jewish high school fraternities and sororities had been active through the 1960s. Under the auspices of the J, the Jewish Youth Board encouraged the chapters to participate in athletic competitions and community service. An example of community service was that the Sigma Alpha Rho chapter led Friday night services at Kutz Senior Living every week. Teens also became involved in other youth groups at the synagogues and the B’nai B’rith Youth Organizations Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA) for boys and B’nai B’rith Girls (BBG). AZA and BBG are parts of the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO) which is no longer part of B’nai B’rith International. It is a pluralistic teen movement aspiring to involve Jewish teens in more meaningful Jewish experiences. Activities include community service projects, athletic tournaments, and Judaic enrichment.
From Delaware to Disney: Sharon Cohen
Sharon Cohen began skating in Delaware when she was eight years old. Cohen was a United States Figure Skating double gold test medalist in figures and freestyle, and a gold level ice dancer. After college she worked at CBS News in New York, and later pursued a Master of Fine Arts in Film Directing and Writing. While producing short films and documentaries, Cohen worked simultaneously to establish Figure Skating in Harlem as a non-profit education, leadership, and sport-based organization that serves girls from under-resourced communities. Cohen continues her leadership of the organization that was the first for girls of color that combined education with the grace and discipline of figure skating. In February 2025 Disney+ released “Harlem Ice,” a series that shows the experiences of the young figure skaters of Harlem.
Maccabiah and Maccabi: Jewish athletes compete locally and internationally
The World Maccabiah Games in Israel are an international multi-sport event featuring Jews from around the world and Israelis regardless of religion. The games were first held in 1932. Currently they are held every four years in Israel, and are considered the foremost sports competition for global Jewry.
Maccabi USA (MUSA) is the sponsor of the USA Team to the World Maccabiah Games. MUSA’s goals were to help Israel develop as a nation through sports and to promote fitness and athleticism among Jewish youth.
Among Delawareans who have participated in the Maccabiah Games are Marcy Levine (gymnastics, 1977), Charlotte Balick (golf, 1981, 1989), Robert Pincus (wrestling coach, 1985), Jay Kogon (trainer, 1985), Ed Behrman (U.S. selection committee, 1989), Rick Probstein (soccer, 1989), Robert Prichett (wrestling, 1993), Kari Kleinburd (swimming, 1993), Valerie Cohen (field hockey, 2001), Jessica Zutz (field hockey, 2009), and Alexis Esbitt (field hockey, 2017).
The JCC Maccabi Games began in 1982 with 300 teen participants from across the U.S. JCC Maccabi promotes teen engagement and builds Jewish identity and community. Each summer, approximately 3,000 13- to 17-year-old Jewish athletes from around the world convene for a week of individual and team athletic competition. In 1999 and 2000, the J sent over 20 participants to the JCC Maccabi Games, competing in basketball, roller hockey, swimming, and tennis. In 2025, the J will, after a long hiatus, be sending a delegation to the JCC Maccabi Games in Pittsburgh.
The Mid-Atlantic Mini & Junior Maccabi Games
This Olympic-style event for Jewish youth ages 9–12 brings together hundreds of Jewish athletes from 20 JCCs across the Mid-Atlantic. The games help prepare the athletes for the JCC Maccabi Games. Mini Maccabi is for ages 9–10 and Junior Maccabi is for ages 11–12. These games offer participants the chance to be a part of an athletic, social, and cultural experience. Athletes also participate in Olympic-style opening ceremonies and JCC Cares, local community service projects that promote important Judaic and human values. The Siegel JCC has been participating for about 25 years.
In 2023 the J sent Team Delaware to Baltimore. The team participated in basketball, soccer, swimming, and tennis.
In 2024, the J hosted the event with over 100 participants. Sports included soccer, basketball, baseball, swimming, and tennis
The new Jewish Community Center (J) 1970 and beyond, the highlights
The J’s accomplishments and contributions to sports, physical fitness, and health are so extensive that they can’t be adequately covered within the scope of this article. What follows is a “highlights reel.” For information about the J’s current range of programs and services please see the website: https://www.siegeljcc.org/
In 1970 the new building opened with an indoor pool, gymnasium, auditorium with stage, kosher kitchen, health club, print shop, and youth lounge. The building housed new programs such as a play learning group, children’s theater productions, an art gallery, and Wilmington-Gratz Hebrew High School. The Golden Agers program—formerly at the Y—was transferred to the J as the Senior Center.
Camp
Day camp continued at the Sellers Estate with enrollment of about 350 campers each summer. During the summer of 1972, campers participated in a cleanup of New Castle County parks, and at that time camp education about Israel was enhanced by a program that brought camp counselors from Israel. A day camp for three-year-olds was opened at the J in 1973. The Sellers Estate property was sold to New Castle County in 1974 with a provision for the J to continue camp there for 10 years. In 1975, the Jewish Federation of Delaware (JFD) underwrote the cost of a major refurbishing of the campsite. Toward the end of the Sellers Estate lease, a search for a new campsite began. After an extensive search it was decided that the ideal location was at the J. This led to a multi-million-dollar capital campaign to create a Family Campus that would be home to the camp. The new campus would include an outdoor pool, a senior park, an amphitheater, playground, tennis courts, ball fields, and a picnic area. The Family Campus opened on June 5, 1988 with excellent resources for camp.
Arts
Continuing the Y’s tradition of support for the arts, the J organized an orchestra and invited musicians, including nationally known ones, to perform. A young musicians contest was established in 1972 and was supported by the Delaware Arts Council. Cultural events included lecture series, film series, and Jewish book and music months. Other special events included the J’s bicentennial celebration. The programming went from October 1975 and ended in May 1976 with “The Creative American Jew, a Festival of the Arts.” Support for and participation in the arts, including regular shows in the ArtSpace, has continued for the following decades.
Aquatics
Aquatic programs were expanded to include support for people with disabilities. As at the Y, a swim team, the Delaware Dolphins (now the Sharks) competed. The outdoor pool was designed to encourage beginners and the water slide continues to thrill swimmers. In addition to swimming the indoor pool offered water aerobics and senior water exercise. Ultraviolet Disinfection System was installed in the indoor pool, allowing the use of significantly less chlorine and making a cleaner and healthier environment.
COVID-19
During the COVID shut-down, the J staff and leadership made sure that members could stay active and healthy by providing online classes, children’s programs, referral to sources of vaccinations, and lunches for seniors.
Look for a part three article later in 2025 that will provide a more detailed post-1970 history of the J.
