Of Joe Biden, the Heimlich Maneuver and 8 Other Facts About (Jewish) Delaware

Veep From Wilmington: Joe Biden raised hackles by referring to ‘Shylocks.’ Image by getty images

By Forward Staff April 4, 2015

School of Proto-Punk: The band Television was founded in 1973 by Richard Lester Meyers (aka Richard Hell) and Tom Miller (aka Tom Verlaine), above, who met at the Sanford School in Hockessin, Delaware. Image by getty images

1) 15,100 Jews live in Delaware.

2) Former Delaware Senator and current vice-president Joe Biden ran afoul of the Anti-Defamation League in September, 2014, for using the term “Shylocks” to refer to people who engage in nefarious business practices.

3) In 1971, businessman Irving Shapiro became the first person outside of the Dupont family to become chairman of the DuPont company, which was founded in 1802 near Wilmington.

Veep From Wilmington: Joe Biden raised hackles by referring to ‘Shylocks.’ Image by getty images

4) Former New York mayor Ed Koch and actress Carrie Fisher are among those whose lives were saved by the Heimlich maneuver, invented by surgeon Henry Heimlich, who was born in Wilmington in 1920.

5) Proto-punk band Television was founded in 1973 by Richard Lester Meyers (aka Richard Hell) and Tom Miller (aka Tom Verlaine), above, who met at the Sanford School in Hockessin, Delaware.

6) At last report, there were no kosher restaurants in the state.

7) Born in Newark, Delaware, current governor Jack Markell attended a labor Zionist youth camp.

8) In the 17th century, there were few Jewish settlers in the state and most of them were fur traders.

9) Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth in Wilmington is the oldest congregation in the state.

10) Shirley Marlin Noznisky, Jakob Dylan’s mom, Bob Dylan’s first wife (and star of his ill-fated film “Renaldo and Clara”) was born in Wilmington in 1939.

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