Michael Tell, the youngest son of Jack and Beatrice Tell, is the publisher of the Las Vegas Israelite newspaper and the second generation of ownership. He briefly traces his Jewish ancestral roots back to Eastern European grandparents who settled in New Jersey and New York. He became a bar mitzvah in a conservative Jewish synagogue in New York City. At age sixteen, he accompanied his father, Jack Tell, westward to Nevada. The elder Tell was in pursuit of owning a newspaper and Mike was a perfect companion as Jack took over ownership of the Territorial Enterprise. Mike recalls it was a short lived venture and the family settled in Las Vegas, where his father went to work for Hank Greenspun at the Las Vegas Sun and then for Henderson Home News, owned by Morry Zenoff. In 1965, Jack Tell opened the Las Vegas Israelite. Meanwhile, Mike explored the lucrative business of concert promotions and opened a teen nightclub 1961 called the Twin Lakes Twist. He hired such talents of the era as Bobby Darin and Wayne Newton. Soon his business acumen grew and he moved Mike Tell Productions to Los Angeles. He tells the story of his last concert, booking Al Green, and being held at gunpoint. Then in 1979, he returned to work at the Israelite, which had a circulation of about 2000. The Jewish community was beginning to show signs of growth. He recalls running an ad in 1992 for High Holy Days services to be held at the Aladdin hotel. He used the word “Lubavitvh” in the ad and this sparked an interest in Las Vegas from the Chabad movement. He also recalls anti-Semitic episodes in Las Vegas, such as Ralph Englestad’s Hitler birthday parties and the presence of Skinheads. And he reflects on the changes in the community that he has observed over the decades.
Oral history interview with Jessica Anderson conducted by Claytee D. White on March 7, 2019 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. Anderson begins talking about her early life, family, work history, and the reason why she had moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1991. She goes on to talk about the history of Outdoors Nevada where she currently works, and what she was doing the day of October 1, 2017. Anderson recalls how she found out about the shooting, reaching out to friends, and learning more about what happened that night. Anderson talks about the aftermath of the event, how it affected everyone involved, and the healing aspect afterwards. Lastly, she describes the process of creating the Healing Garden, the features of the garden, and the future plans for the area.
Oral history interview with Carole Fisher conducted by Barbara Tabach on December 14, 2016 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. In this interview, Fisher discusses her family background and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1979. Fisher talks about Nathan Adelson Hospice, programs that they provide for the Las Vegas senior community, and the increase of hospices in Las Vegas. She describes how Nathan Adelson Hospice is able to provide care for uninsured people, fundraising events they organize, and how their hospice differs from traditional hospital care. Lastly, Fisher discusses the significance of death in the Jewish religion.