In 1939, Wilma (Frank) Bass was born in New York City, where she began her involvement in theater at the age of ten. Almost twenty years later, she met Burt Bass (1932- ) when both worked for a photography studio, one of Burt first post-high school jobs. Burt opened his first professional photography studio in 1962, shortly after he married Wilma in 1960. The couple soon had two daughters – Jill and Wendy – and moved to Las Vegas in 1974. Burt initially worked for his brother-in-law Ed Frank's check cashing businesses and later opened his own photography business, Burton Studio. He later added services such as fingerprinting, background checks, and photographs for identification cards. Wilma worked as a jewelry salesperson, first at the Gold Factory then at Nieman Marcus. Socially, she was very involved with Temple Beth Sholom’s Sisterhood, using her theater talents to write, direct and produce various shows for the Sisterhood, ORT as well as B’nai B’rith Youth Organization. In this interview, Burt discusses his photography business, the migration of its storefront around town, and his colorful landlords, including individuals like Moe Dalitz and Art Marshall. Wilma talks about her sales career in the local jewelry industry, and more extensively, she shares memories of her involvement in the Jewish community with theater productions. Much of the discussion revolved around related news articles and personal photos from their relationships and activities within the Jewish community. The couple also shares stories of friendships with local entertainers, including Jerry Lewis and Neil Sedaka.
The Wilner Family Collection is comprised of audiovisual material on real estate in Las Vegas, Nevada collected by Las Vegas real estate agent, Linda C. Wilner. The collection includes informational videos for real estate agents and promotional showcase materials on various real estate developments around Las Vegas including Summerlin, Lake Las Vegas, Turnberry Place, Park Towers, Sun City Anthem, Sun City MacDonald Ranch, and Christopher Homes. This collection also contains a digital surrogate of a scrapbook commemorating Linda Wilner's uncle, Leo Wilner, and his retirement as executive director of Temple Beth Sholom in 1984.
Oral history interview with Rabbi Felipé Goodman conducted by Barbara Tabach and Monserrath Hernandez on April 01, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Goodman discusses his upbringing in Mexico City, Mexico and growing up in the Jewish neighborhood of Polanco. He recalls trips to the United States, differences between Mexican Judaism and American Judaism, and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1998. Later, Goodman talks about being Rabbi at Temple Beth Sholom, his connection to the Latinx community, and his story of becoming a United States citizen. Lastly, Goodman discusses his observations of anti-Semitism and attending the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference in 2019.
Oral history interview with Danit Farwell conducted by Barbara Tabach on March 27, 2018 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. In this interview, Farwell discusses her early life in Morocco, antisemitism she experienced there, and being sent to Israel as a young girl. She recalls the hardships she faced while traveling to Israel, living in a kibbutz, and completing a teaching seminar to become a grade school teacher. Farwell talks about arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1974, her first impression of the city, and her decision to stay. Farwell describes becoming a member of Temple Beth Sholom, being a teacher there, and going to card dealing school. Lastly, Farwell talks about being a part-time card dealer at different casinos on the Strip.