Shirley Kravitz worked at Temple Beth Shalom and the Jewish Federation in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was an executive secretary and the Women's Division director.
Janis Rounds is a travel agent and real estate agent who has lived in Las Vegas since 1963 and has been involved with the Las Vegas Jewish community in many important ways. This includes serving as a chairwomen of Women’s Philanthropy for the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas, serving as secretary for the Board of Directors for the Federation, and serving on many other committees and board for the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas. She has also worked with Congregation Ner Tamid where she was a board member from 1993-1998 and President of the Sisterhood Congregation of Ner Tamid.
In this interview, Phyllis Friedman reflects upon her extensive work with the ADL in Las Vegas. She discusses the city?s relatively low anti-Semitic activity, and how this allowed the Las Vegas ADL office to focus its efforts more broadly than in other cities. She also touches upon her family history, and how the community of Las Vegas has evolved since first visiting in 1963.
A Chicago native, Phyllis Friedman first came to Las Vegas in 1996 to become the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas? first foundation director. After two years, Friedman moved to year Los Angeles to work for ORT. Itching to get back to Las Vegas, in 2007, Friedman returned to the city to became director of the Nevada regional office of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). In this position, she worked with schools as well as law enforcement, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), teaching about tolerance and justice. She is a recipient of the FBI?s Las Vegas Division Director?s Community Leadership Award as well as the first awardee of Jewish Federation?s Jewish Professional of the Year. Three weeks into retirement, Friedman gave this interview, reflecting upon her extensive work with the ADL in Las Vegas. She discusses the city?s relatively low anti-Semitic activity, and how this allowed the Las Vegas ADL office to focus its efforts more broadly than in other cities. She also touches upon her family history, and how the community of Las Vegas has evolved since first visiting in 1963.
Part of an interview with Jerrry Countess and Dorothy Eisenberg on October 28, 2014. In this clip, Countess talks about the early days of the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas and an event held by B'nai B'rith.
Oral history interview with Marcy and Jack Simon conducted by Barbara Tabach on May 16, 2018 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. In this interview, Marcy and Jack discuss their personal backgrounds and meeting one another in Los Angeles, California in 1964. Jack talks about his work building homes in the San Fernando Valley, earning a contractors license, and how Marcy became involved in the contracting business. The two then recall the formation of their electrical company, Expo-Tech Electrical and Plumbing, being the electrical contractors for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and moving their business headquarters to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1994. Later, Marcy and Jack recall their involvement in the Las Vegas Jewish community and the Jewish Federation (now known as Jewish Nevada). The two describe purchasing Commercial Casino in Elko, Nevada and selling their casino operations in 2005. Lastly, they discuss their involvement with the Jewish Family Services Agency.