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Transcript of interview with Justice Michael Cherry by Barbara Tabach, September 19, 2014

Date

2014-09-19

Description

Interview with Justice Michael Cherry by Barbara Tabach on September 19, 2014. In this interview, Justice Cherry talks about how he came to Las Vegas and his work as a public defender and as a lawyer in private practice. He also discusses his involvement with Jewish organizations in various capacities, and his involvement with high-profile cases such as the MGM Grand and Las Vegas Hilton fires, earning him the nickname "master of disaster."

Justice Michael Cherry was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and went on to spend his childhood in the Jewish neighborhood of University City. He attended University of Missouri and became a leader in his fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi, and a committed ROTC cadet. By the time Justice Cherry graduated from Missouri and was heading to Washington University School of Law, he was a second lieutenant; halfway through law school, he was promoted to first lieutenant. It was also during law school that he married his college sweetheart, Rachel Wolfson. When a bad back prevented him from becoming an active air force officer, he and his wife decided to follow his mother to Las Vegas. Justice Cherry worked both as a law clerk with the Public Defender's Office as well as a security guard at Wonder World when he first moved to the city. After passing the Nevada bar, Cherry took at position with the Public Defender's Office, and later went into private practice as a successful criminal defense attorney. Cherry was elected as district judge in 1998 and 2002. In 2006, he won his campaign for state Supreme Court justice. Justice Cherry was reelected to office in 2012 for another four-year term. He is currently the highest-positioned Jewish official in the state of Nevada. Throughout his years in Las Vegas, Justice Cherry has been an extremely active and influential member of the Jewish community and served as chairman of the Anti-Defamation League and is active in the Jewish Federation. Justice Cherry attributes his commitment to service to his mother. In addition to his service to the Jewish community, he has been active in numerous other service organizations, including March of Dimes, Olive Crest, Adoption Exchange and American Cancer Society.

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Congregation Shirat Shalom

Congregation Shirat Shalom was founded in spring of 2013 in the Henderson/Las Vegas area by four unaffiliated Jews looking for a place to be comfortable, affordable and worship in the Reform style of Judaism. The concept of starting a new congregation without walls became very appealing and initially met as a nameless Havurah, or friendship group, and participants took turns leading the worship services.

 

As the number of participants grew, the group became a full congregation, leading to the development of Congregation Shirat Shalom, meaning ‘Song of Peace’.

Letter from George C. Fish (Las Vegas) to Walter R. Bracken (Las Vegas), May 7, 1940

Date

1940-05-07

Archival Collection

Description

The owner of Railroad Pass Casino wanted water delivered to his casino, and wanted to build a flume next to the main tracks rather than build a spur. Fish was disinclined to sell any water where the only likely business was the freighting of water.

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