Congregation Adat Ari El was a Jewish Reform congregation in Las Vegas, Nevada founded by former members of Temple Beth Am in 1992. The congregation started out with about 15 families that held services in a donated storefront every two weeks, led by a rabbi who traveled from California. In 2007, Adat Ariel merged with Temple Beth Am to form Temple Sinai.
Temple Beth Am was a Jewish Reform congregation founded by Rabbi Mel Hecht in 1984 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 1992, some members of the congregation, unhappy with Rabbi Hecht's leadership, broke off to form Congregation Adat Ari El. Construction on Beth Am's campus began in Summerlin in 2001. In 2007 Temple Beth Am and Adat Ari El merged to form Temple Sinai.
The Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project Community Collection is comprised of organizational records, photographs, event programs, and ephemera donated by members of the Southern Nevada Jewish community as part of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas University Libraries’ Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. Materials document the history of the Jewish community and Southern Nevada from 1941 to 2017. The collection provides information about family life, religious rituals, community events, and local businesses and organizations.
Rabbi Malcolm Cohen was born on October 7, 1973 in London, England. His mother worked as an office assistant, and his father ran a bookshop and also prepared youth for their bar and bat mitzvahs. It was his father’s dedication to Jewish education and service that influenced his career path. After earning a degree in psychology from Southampton University, Cohen went on to get a professional qualification in youth and community work.
Jack Kaufman (September 3, 1935-August 2, 2015) was a Las Vegas lawyer and judge. Kaufman was born in Cleveland September 3, 1935. He graduated from the University of Arizona where he earned his Bachelors in engineering. He also attended Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah where he received his Masters in business. Kaufman completed his education at the California Western School of law where he was awarded with a Juris Doctorate. Kaufman moved to Las Vegas in 1965 as a government lawyer for the Nevada Test Site.