Jeff Kennedy interviews gaming industry professional John Brooks (b. 1937) at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada. During the interview Brooks discusses gaming, education, the early above ground atomic blasts, Boulder Dam, and social and environmental changes in Nevada. Brooks also discusses the Old Ranch, economic changes, religion, politics, family life, the Navy, sports, the railroad, Fremont Street and the hotels on the Strip in Las Vegas.
Part of an interview with Jon Sparer, March 4, 2015. In this clip, architect Jon Sparer discusses his involvement with designing and building the synagogue for Congregation Ner Tamid.
Oral history interview with Alex X. Porter conducted by Claytee D. White on April 16, 2022 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: A Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Porter mainly discusses his membership of and devout role in the Nation of Islam. He discusses how he became involved with the religion after trying to enact change in the Black community through the NAACP. He discusses how his stance on education sets him apart from the majority of the Black community; he believes that a college degree is not necessary to teach intellectual topics to young people. Porter is active in the Las Vegas Black community as either a member or supporter of the Minister's Alliance, Shepherd's Breakfast, NAACP, Black Lives Matter, and the Nation of Islam.
Oral history interview with Jon Sparer conducted by Barbara Tabach on March 04, 2015 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. Sparer discusses his career as an architect of many major Las Vegas, Nevada hotels and casinos. He also talks about designing the Congregation Ner Tamid and The Center for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) community.
General Las Vegas history, Sahara and Charleston, when UNLV was first built, personal awards, Lorenzi Park, Newspapers. City Sanitation, power, and telephone. Church and religion, personal and family history.(Interview on tape inaudible).
This series is comprised of records created by congregations and other organizations in the Las Vegas, Nevada Jewish community from 1988 to 2004. In addition to newsletters from various congregations in the Las Vegas Valley and the Holocaust Survivors Group of Southern Nevada, the series also includes form letters, fliers, programs, invitations, photographs, audiovisual materials, and other ephemera documenting the events and activities of the Jewish community.
Archival Collection
Collection on the Las Vegas, Nevada Jewish Community
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Collection Number: MS-00426 Collection Name: Collection on the Las Vegas, Nevada Jewish Community Box/Folder: N/A
Rabbi Felipé Goodman was born in 1967 and raised in an established Conservative Jewish community in Mexico City. This community would financially and emotionally support his seminary education was in New York City at the Jewish Theological Seminary. As a young rabbi eager for his own congregation, he became restless in 1998 and began his search for options which lead him to a listing for a rabbi at Las Vegas’s oldest synagogue, Temple Beth Sholom. During this oral history, Rabbi Goodman weaves a fascinating story of chance and good fortune of his interview process and visit to Las Vegas—including the generous parting gift of Snapple—and his surprising decision to take the position. Now, almost two decades later, he reflects on several of his accomplishments in addition to being Temple Beth Sholom’s longest serving rabbi to date. He mentions the opening of the synagogue’s move to a beautiful new building in Summerlin, where they were able to include a mikvah for conversions. He shares how he and Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn, formerly of Midbar Kodesh Temple, worked together to establish chevra kadisha for burying Jewish people. As a member of the Rabbinical Assembly he was especially please to help host the 2011 annual conference in Las Vegas after years of persuasion. Israeli political leader Tzipi Livni was the keynote speaker. Rabbi also speaks about his passion for Israel, AIPAC and the Conservative Movement in Judaism.