L'Dor V'Dor Circle

L'dor v'dor - from generation to generation - you are ensuring that the Siegel JCC continues to be the heartbeat of Jewish life in Delaware and the Brandywine Valley. By joining the Circle, you make certain that future generations can experience being part of a welcoming and thriving Jewish Community just as you have.

Join the Circle today.

About the Circle

What makes the Circle different from other campaigns?

The L'Dor V'Dor Circle celebrates Jewish identity and the importance of community. Remember the rich experiences, special memories, and lasting connections you and your family made here at our JCC? Help us ensure that future generations can enjoy these benefits as well as the pride of being part of a welcoming Jewish community.

The Circle is comprised of members who strengthen our community, allowing us to: preserve everything we love about the Siegel JCC; support innovation, including our senior, youth, and education programs; and subsidize our members in need so they can participate in J life.

I love it! How can I join the Circle?

Donate online or call 302-478-5600 to speak with our CEO, Ivy Harlev.

We welcome the opportunity to confidentially and compassionately discuss a contribution that is both meaningful and sustainable for you.

All donations are tax deductible, and we can customize payment methods and schedules, support corporate matching, and make adjustments at any time.

Why me? Why now?

Amy Leviton | Past President, Mom of 5 Early Childhood Center Grads

At the start of the pandemic, my family made the decision to return to New York after 30 years of living in Delaware. One of the first people I broke the news to was Ivy Harlev, CEO of the JCC I called home.

My family has been inextricably linked to the incredible J community. Whether through the ECC, Camp, building a playground, volunteering, carpooling, attending meetings, (rarely) working out at the gym, even serving as the President of the Board of Directors . . . it was the heart of the Leviton family.

The J was our connection to the community. The J was where we were greeted daily with smiles and warmth. The J was the place where we met our closest friends who continue to be family now.

When we moved to New York, I told Ivy I wished there was still a way to give, to stay connected, to continue to support the community that raised my family.

The L'Dor V'Dor Circle is that way. I'm so thankful for my JCC, and if you are, too, I hope you will join me in the Circle.

Laurie Kneitel Blum-Max | Daughter of Senior Center Founder, Grandparent to 2 Preschoolers

Life at the JCC has been an important part of four generations of the Kneitel / Blum families. I’d like to share my story as you may have been part of a similar journey.

I was born and raised in Wilmington, DE as my father came here from New York to work for DuPont. At that time, Wilmington was a small but vibrant community. Some of my earliest memories of the JCC started when I attended the teen “JETS – Juniors Entering Training” camp in the summer of 1969, and formed new and lasting friendships. The social life the JCC provided ran parallel to my Junior and Senior High experiences at Springer JHS and Brandywine HS. At the JCC, I worked my first job (answering the phone, “Shalom, JCC”), lifeguarded, served as a camp counselor, and attended many dances and trips. I always knew that these were kids who shared my Jewish life and where I would eventually meet my husband, Alan Blum.

Later our children, Jess and Jon, attended the JCC preschool, afterschool activities, and spent summers at camp until they became teens. After they married, their children also attended the Early Childhood Center. It has given me great joy to come to the JCC to pick them up or play together in the pool.

My interest in participating in the L’Dor V’Dor Circle is not only for the future of my grandchildren, but to recognize and honor the memory of my parents, Syd & Arnold Kneitel, and my in-laws, Jinx & Jerry Blum.

I remember visiting the JCC construction site when my dad served on the Board and watching the “new” building being built. This new JCC was being erected in our neighborhood of North Wilmington, providing greater access and new facilities for generations to come. He was so proud to see the “Hine Mah Tov” sign that exists years later welcoming all to the JCC – "How good and how pleasant it is that brothers dwell together." He believed in both the vision and the reality of the JCC becoming a place for all people in our community. Later my mother, Syd, founded and steered the direction of the Senior Center for 20+ years. It was wonderful to see how she gave purpose and new opportunities to seniors. My in-laws, Jinx and Jerry, provided financial assistance and many food donations from their business, Take-A-Break.

Today I would like to honor the memory of my parents' dedication to the JCC. I hope someday my children and grandchildren remember their Jewish roots and continue to be part of this changing landscape.

Please join me in supporting the L’Dor V’Dor Circle – we have an opportunity to “pay it forward” and continue the legacy for the future.

Ellen Rosenblum Rubesin | Teen Travel Camp Alum (JETS)

When I think about growing up in the ‘60s and ‘70s in Wilmington, I think about the Jewish Community Center. Some of my fondest memories are from the Sellers campground as well as the “brand new building” on Garden of Eden Road. I spent many summers at Camp JCC - as a camper, as a junior counselor-in-training (JET), and a counselor. The JCC was a welcoming hub to Jewish teens. Though I was active in my high school in North Wilmington, there were very few Jewish kids - there was something about the JCC that provided a level of comfort that I couldn’t find in other environments.

Fast forward to June 2021. My mother passed away, and I was flooded with so many Wilmington memories. I haven’t lived in Wilmington since 1978, yet the people who reached out to me after my mom’s death were mostly from the “old days” of the JCC. It hit me that I made and retained my best friends through the JCC, and I am still very much tied to the people I met during that era. I hope that others have the opportunity to experience the sense of community and circle of friends that the JCC offered me. My participation in this campaign can help ensure this.

Amy & Scott Harrison | Past Board Member & Parents of 2 ECC Graduates

When we moved to Delaware after getting married in 1998, the JCC was a great way for us to begin getting established in our new community. We became truly involved when our girls were enrolled in the Early Childhood Center. Not only did we find an amazing educational program for our kids, but we found a wonderful group of friends that we consider family all these years later.

It’s important for us to continue to support the JCC. The L’Dor V’Dor Circle is the perfect way for us to make that happen. We hope you’ll consider joining us in the Circle and helping our Jewish community to thrive.

Andrea (Andy) Kneitel Millstein | Former Camper, Counselor, and Campus Guide

I grew up in Wilmington and was very active at the JCC. I remember dance parties in our early teen years at the old JCC in town. I still laugh when we girls were hanging out in the bathroom and a male friend climbed from the outside into the bathroom. When he got to the top, Toby Weiner saw him, he went “whoops” and headed back down the outside wall. As a camper and counselor, I also remember rainy days at the old JCC, roller skating on the wooden floors and swimming in the scary echoing indoor tile pool.

When the new JCC opened, I was proud to be a guide, showing off the beautiful new facility. We were all very excited with this modern building. In my Senior year at Brandywine High School, I was proud to be appointed as the President of the Youth Board which was an umbrella group for the Jewish youth organizations. At a special function, I met my husband Marc who was a chaperone (thanks to his friendship with Ed Selekman). Yes, we have been married since 1975, and I owe it to our meeting at the JCC.

Although I no longer live in the area my continued family and friend connections remain. I look forward to the getting back together at the JCC and renewing old friendships.

Circle members

Thank you to the members of the L’Dor V’Dor Circle, who strengthen our community, allowing us to: preserve everything we love about the Siegel JCC; support innovation, including our senior, youth, and education programs; and subsidize our members in need so they can participate in J life.

Platinum: Laurie Blum-Max & Bert Max

Ruby: Amy & Michael Leviton

Diamond: Jane & Raymond Kursh | Ellen & Gerry Resnick | Ellen & Steve Rubesin | Wendy & Philip Shlossman

Gold: The Blum Family

Silver: Amy & Scott Harrison | Ed & Anne Knapper | Michael & Becky Rosen | Scott & Barbara Green

Share your memories.

Visit our virtual memory board here.

Join US.

Join the Circle today.