On Thursday, February 22, 2024 at 6 PM, the New Hampshire Jewish Museum (NHJM) located in the Jewish Federation of NH in Bedford, will open an exhibit entitled “NH Jewish Contributions to Healthcare, Past and Present.”

One of the great past physicians to be featured will be Dr. Selma (Deitch) Sigel. A recollection from Dr. Sol Rockenmacher of Dr. Deitch; “A legacy to remember, I first met Selma in the 1970’s, when I was in primary care pediatric practice in Dover … for her fellow pediatricians, she was our Jiminy Cricket, our conscience in thinking about what was best for children. One of Selma’s most outstanding contributions was being one of the dynamic duo—with benefactor May Gruber, aka Pandora’s Pride—who founded Manchester’s Child Health Services, a model of healthcare that enfolded children in a wonderful safety net of services and human compassion. The program began in 1979, providing primary care and related health services to low-income children and families in the Greater Manchester area. It was quite possibly the first functioning family-centered, comprehensive, and coordinated Medical Home in the entire USA. At the time of her death in 2004, Child Health Services was seeing more than 2,000 children from the Manchester area. She also helped found the Derryfield School in 1964. In 1987, she was the Manchester Union Leader’s Woman of the Year for New Hampshire, and in 1988 she was the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year. She was, indeed, a special person.”

The program on February 22 has two components. The first will be to chronicle and honor the amazing NH Jews who made advances in healthcare, including the development of the measles vaccine and the creation of a child health program by Dr. Deitch. The second part will feature contemporary NH Jewish healthcare practitioners, teachers, administrators, and workers, speaking about their current innovations, procedures, and programs. 

The museum’s mission is to collect, preserve and display the Jewish history of our state. The museum tells the long overdue story of the Jews in New Hampshire all in one place. It is funded in part by a grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.