general New Castle County information.1919 Jewish population was 3,500 according to submission from Alan Hirschfeld from "Directory of Jewish Local Organizations in the United States" pp. 330-583. American Jewish Year Book 5680 September 25,1919 to Sept. 12, 1920; vol. 21, edited by Harry Schneiderman for the American Jewish Comm. 19803.
Synagogues:
Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth Cong., 4412 Washington Street Extension, Wilmington, Delaware 19802, (302) 762-2705
Congregation Beth Emeth (Reform), 300 West Lea Boulevard, Wilmington, Delaware 19802, (302) 764-2393
Congregation Beth Shalom, 1801 Baynard, Wilmington, Delaware 19802, (302) 654-4462
Cemeteries:
Adas Kodesh Cemetery: see Jewish Community Cemetery
Beth Emeth Memorial Park: Faulkland (Route 270), office is open Mon-Fri 8-5, Sat. & Sun. The Cemetery is open during daylight hours, 7 days a week. The cemetery was incorporated in 1932 and is a separate non-profit corporation connected with Temple Beth Emeth only in that board members of the cemetery must belong to that congregation. 9 acres with about 2,000 lots total, 615 burials occurred as of 6/1994 with the earliest burial in 1936. The cemetery office with computerized records is in Temple Beth Emeth, 300 West Lea Blvd., Wilmington, DE 19802; 302-764-2393. President: Alfred J. Green, 505 Wyndham Rd. Wilmington, DE 19809; 302-762-5414. Directions: From Baltimore or NJ via the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Proceed on I-95 North to exit 6 in Wilmington. This is marked "Martin L. King Blvd, Maryland Ave.," At traffic light at the end of ramp, cross Maryland Ave. At 2nd next traffic light turn left on West 2nd St. (Del. Route 48) a one-way street. From Philadelphia and north, proceed on I-95 south to exit 6 in Wilmington. This is marked "Martin L. King Blvd; Fourth St." Go straight for 3 traffic lights to West 2nd St. (Del. Route 48) Turn right (a one-way street). Continue west on Route 48 about 0.7 miles to Union St. Follow Route 48 signs by turning left on Union (one-way street); go one block to Lancaster Ave. Turn right on Lancaster (still Route 48), now a two-way street. Go 0.7 mile to DuPont Rd., Del Route 100 (Westcourt Apartments are on right at intersection). Turn left onto DuPont Rd. Go 0.2 miles and curve right onto Faulkland Rd. (Del. Route 34). Entrance to cemetery is about 100 yards on the left. source: Lloyd L. Falk, 123 Bette Rd. Wilmington, DE 19803; 302-478-7628
John H. Brand, David Goldberger, and Dr. Abraham Goberman incorporated the cemetery on October 26, 1932. It is located southwest of the
Wilmington city limits and is across the street from the Silverbrook Cemetery. Beth Emeth Memorial Park is governed by a volunteer Board of
Directors and has an office at Congregation Beth Emeth.
Beth Emeth, founded in 1906, is the only Reform Jewish congregation on the Delmarva Peninsula. The cemetery contains the graves of Beth Emeth members as well as many others from the Jewish community at large. A number of the community's most respected past leaders and personalities are buried here. The cemetery, which is located on an irregularly shaped parcel of land, has a brick entrance wall with a gate. A Jewish War Veterans memorial and Holocaust memorial can be found at the cemetery. The cemetery includes a significant portion of large family plots, is spacious, well cared for and has many beautiful trees and shrubs. Burial records as well as other pertinent information is available at the synagogue office, 300 West Lea Boulevard in Wilmington. The telephone number for the synagogue is (302) 764-2393. To reach the cemetery travel west on Lancaster Avenue. Turn left onto Route 100 (Dupont Road). Stay to your right as the cemetery is just ahead on the left side after the road forks. Burials for this cemetery are indexed as of May 1995. Source: Julian Priesler
UPDATE: P. 03185 in Cemeteries of the US, Deborah M. Burek, ed. Gale Research Int., Detroit MI (1994) ISBN 0-8103-9245-3; submitted by: Al Rosenfield [August 2005]
Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery: Chesed Shel Emeth Congregation-- Orthodox congregation in Wilmington founded in 1885. Merged with Adas Kodesch Congregation in 1957 to form Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth Congregation. see Jewish Community Cemetery [August 2005]
Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery: 2465 Chesapeake City Road, Bear, DE 19701 (302) 834-8046 FAX: (302) 934-5647. burial list [August 2005]
Jewish Community Cemetery (former part of Lombardy Cemetery): Office: c/o Mrs. Sandra Seidel (bookkeeper) 605 West 37th St., Wilmington, DE 19802 (302-762-9198). Cemetery Superintendent is Steve Michlin, c/o Schoenberg Memorial Chapel, 519 Philadelphia Pike Wilmington, DE 19809; 302-762-0334. Hours: anytime except Sabbath and major Jewish holidays. About 1,700 graves are occupied. Present-day Jewish Community Cemetery traces its beginnings to the year 1890 when the Orthodox Adas Kodesch Congregation secured a small parcel of land or "section" in the Lombardy Cemetery for use as their burial ground. An earlier burial ground in Wilmington was established around 1886 at Fifth & Hawley Streets in the western part of the city. Moses Montefiore Mutual began this first Jewish cemetery Benefit Society and was in use only until the early part of the 20th Century. By 1910, all the graves from Montefiore Cemetery were transferred to the new Jewish burial ground located next to the Adas Kodesch Congregation Section at the Lombardy Cemetery.
As other synagogues and Jewish organizations were established in Delaware, many decided to secure burial space in Lombardy Cemetery and thus set aside their own sections. The Chesed Shel Emeth Congregation section was established around 1902. The Workman's Circle Branch 69 organization established its section around 1909, and Beth Shalom Congregation set aside burial space in 1924 just two years after the congregation was founded. The Farband Labor Zionist Order organization also had set aside a portion of land in the cemetery. All these sections are located adjacent to one another. Of the six original sections, only three exist today. The Adas Kodesch and Chesed Shel Emeth sections were combined when the two congregations merged in 1957 to form the present Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth Congregation. The Montefiore section now includes the former Workman's Circle section and the Farband section. It also includes a new sub-section for Temple Beth El of Newark, Delaware. Beth Shalom Congregation has the third section of the cemetery.
The Jewish Community Cemetery is now owned by the Jewish Community Cemetery Association (JCCA) and is no longer a part of the Lombardy Cemetery, though many older persons still refer to the Jewish Community Cemetery as "Lombardy". The JCCA was founded on December 4, 1951. In 1952, it purchased the Jewish sections of the Lombardy Cemetery to form the present day Jewish Community Cemetery. The cemetery grounds, which were formally dedicated on September 11, 1955, are well over 12 acres and well kept. At one time, a small stone building on the grounds was used for pre-burial purposes. That structure was torn-down in the 1970's. A storage and garage structure with a small office was completed and dedicated in May 1975. The cemetery has a Jewish War Veterans memorial on the grounds.
Records for burials in the cemetery are maintained by each section organization. Records and general information also are available through Schoenberg Memorial Chapel located at 519 Philadelphia Pike in Wilmington.
Two stone walls mark the main entrance. The other entrance has a small stone pillar. A wooden fence along the Foulk Road side marks the cemetery. Directions: Foulk Road and Concord Pike: From north or south, take I-95 to the US Route 202 North (exit 8) toward West Chester, PA. (US 202 also called Concord Pike) Traveling north on Concord Pike (202), make a right turn onto Foulk Road. The cemetery will be on the left side, a very short distance from the Concord Pike. Or Stay in the right lane of US 202 (right turn only lane). At traffic light, turn right onto Foulk Rd. (Delaware Route 261) is a 4-lane road. Move to left lane. The cemetery is about 1/4 mile on the left. Source: Lloyd L. Falk, 123 Bette Rd. Wilmington, DE 19803; 302-478-7628 and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.:
UPDATE: (N-14004) Jewish Community Cemetery - The Jewish Community Cemetery began with individual synagogues "renting" space in the Lombardy Cemetery. Eventually an association was formed and the Jewish cemetery split off c.1952. The first synagogue to acquire space in the Lombardy Cemetery was the Orthodox Adas Kodesch Congregation in 1890. Prior to this acquisition, the Moses Montefiore Mutual Benefit Society had established the first Jewish Cemetery in Wilmington. By 1910, the graves were transferred to the Lombardy Cemetery. After that several other sections were created including the Chesed Shel Emeth Congregation c.1902, the Workman's Circle Branch Organization c.1909, the Beth Shalom Congregation c.1924, and the Farband Labor Zionist Order. Along with a few additions and some of the sections merging, there are currently three sections in the Jewish Community Cemetery [August 2005]
Lombardy Cemetery: see Jewish Community Cemetery. information. [August 2005]
Machzikey Hadas Cemetery {10269}: see Minaquadale [August 2005]
Moses Montefiore Mutual Benefit Society Cemetery: see Jewish Community Cemetery. See: "Directory of Jewish Local Organizations in the United States" pp. 330-583. American Jewish Year Book 5680 September 25,1919 to Sept. 12, 1920, vol. 21, edited by Harry Schneiderman for the American Jewish Comm.