Rough-draft versions of letters written by William Feldman, Executive Director of the Jewish Family Service Agency (JFSA), and Barry D. Eisen, President of the Jewish Family Service Agency, to Norman Kaufman, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation, and Paul Eisenberg, Chairman of the Endowment Committee, requesting financial aid from the Jewish Federation Foundation endowment fund to support the Jewish Family Service Agency's Elderly Services program. (Original order of pages is unclear, some pages may have been lost prior to donation.)
Treva Roles is one of six children born to Louis and Katherine Smith, and spent her childhood in Erie, Pennsylvania and Chicago, Illinois. During the Great Depression, Treva’s father used his entrepreneurial skills and creativity to turn his traveling salesman profession into a lucrative family business selling personal inventions. Eventually, he decided to sell the business, and buy a motel out west and “retire.” The motel ended up being the Fair Price Motel in Las Vegas, and Treva soon moved out to help the family run it. Her parents lived on Fremont Street. Shortly after moving to Las Vegas, Treva met Ralph Roles, a local fireman, whose family lived on West Charleston Blvd. The two were married just three months later. While on their honeymoon, Treva’s parents purchased the Del Mar Motel, and soon thereafter, Treva and Ralph purchased the Rummel Motel. Treva and Ralph owned and operated the Rummel Motel for 20 years, selling to Taiwanese investors in 1979. Treva and Ralph raised their three sons, all of whom are now chiropractors. In 2000, the couple fulfilled a dream of living on a golf course when they moved to Sun City Anthem. Two years later, Ralph lost his battle with Alzheimer’s. Treva’s current community activities include playing mahjong and involvement with the Women’s Club at Sun City Anthem.
Thomas discusses her family history and arriving to Boulder City, Nevada in 1930. Thomas describes housing in Boulder City and explains that people needed to build their own homes in the 1930s. She then discusses prostitution becoming illegal in Nevada, the Helldorado Parade, and the construction of Hoover Dam (Boulder Dam). Lastly, Thomas recalls how her musical career began and entertainment in casinos.
On March 4, 1981, collector Marlene L. Larson interviewed Chester Albert Hodson, Jr. (born December 21st, 1948 in Las Vegas, Nevada) at the Sizzler restaurant in Las Vegas, Nevada. In this interview, Mr. Hodson speaks about working in the restaurant industry in Las Vegas, as well as his father’s experience working in the industry. He also talks about living in Las Vegas and the changes he has seen throughout his life.
Esther Toporek Finder is a professor of psychology and has lived in Las Vegas, Nevada since 2010. She was born May 28, 1953, in Chicago, Illinois, and moved to Washington D.C. in 1979 after graduating with her Masters from the University of Chicago. While in Washington D.C, Finder was able to jump start her career as an oral historian recording Holocaust survivor stories with the U.S Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Shoah Foundation. Esther Finder is a second generation Holocaust survivor. Her passion for Holocaust education and its representation in society has led her to many opportunities to teach, facilitate, educate, create and contribute to many survivor oriented groups such as The Generation After where she was President for 15 years, the Holocaust Era Assets Conference as representation of the American survivor community, as well as the creation of the Generations of the Shoah International group in October 2002. When Finder moved to Las Vegas, she quickly and deeply involved herself in the Las Vegas Holocaust survivor community. She has been integral with Nellis Air Force Base?s Days of Remembrance, the opening the Generations of Shoah Nevada Chapter, and partnering with the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust and Descendants to bring conferences to the Las Vegas Valley. In addition, she has been an organizer of commemoration programs for students attending UNLV and schools within the Clark County School District. Her involvement with the Governor?s Advisory Council on Education Relating to the Holocaust and the television series Eyewitness to History have highlighted the Holocaust survivors living in Las Vegas. In this interview, Finder discusses her childhood as well as the paths that led her to realize her passion for the Holocaust survivor community and her deep association with the community. She shares her experiences interviewing survivors and second generation survivors giving a deeper insight into the stories that they have shared with her over the years. In addition, she reflects on her long reach within the survivor community and brings to light the foundation of family being a survivor gives. Finder highlights the traveling, teaching and community service opportunities she has had over the years while enlightening people about the importance of countering hate through education.
Raya was born in Tel-Aviv, Israel on July 8, 1935 to Edith and Gerhard Munzner. Her Mother was the daughter of Elsa and David Flachs from Berlin, Germany and her father was the son of Rachel and Zvi Munzner from Mannheim, Germany. Raya's father was jailed in 1931 as a 23 year old attorney, for being "out of the ordinary intelligent, and, therefore, highly dangerous," he was accused of being a communist because he defended social welfare cases. On the day of his release, he fled Germany, crossing the border overnight into Czechoslovakia and onward to Paris to reunite with his then fiancee (Raya's mother) and await immigration papers to the then Palestine, today's Israel. Raya's parents married upon their arrival in Jerusalem and settled in Tel Aviv in 1933. Raya's father obtained his doctorate in Economics and Law at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. Upon arrival in Israel, he got a job counting the out-of-circulation money in the basement of "Bank Yaffet" in Tel Aviv an