Oral history interview with Miriam "Mimi" Katz conducted by Barbara Tabach on December 10, 2014 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. Katz discusses working for the Jewish Federation for ten years and living in Las Vegas, Nevada since 1957.
Gary Sternberg grew up in Germany, witnessing anti-Semitic propaganda as early as age 7. He describes some of the experiences his father endured at a concentration camp, and his escape to China. He and his mother reunited with his father in Shanghai in 1940. They left Shanghai in 1948, eventually settling in Cleveland. He and his family came to Las Vegas in 1969.
Modern dance pioneer Ruth St. Denis, nee Ruth Dennis, was born on January 20, 1879 in Newark, New Jersey. Her training began as a child with the practice of physical exercises developed by Francois Delsarte. As a teenager, she appeared in Broadway musicals and was a protégé of David Belasco, a theatrical producer. She combined spirituality, eastern culture, and religion in her dance routines. Christian themes were also explored and depicted in her works.
Junior starts off by tracing his life back to being born in Harbor City, California and moving to Ogden, Utah. His ethnic background as a Samoan created very strong family values such as respect for your elders, and his time in Utah was marked by spending lots of time with family. After moving back to California briefly, Junior ended up in Las Vegas when his sister needed help and ended up obtaining his degree in sociology from UNLV. After graduating, Junior briefly worked in construction before becoming a bodyguard for Floyd Mayweather for five years.