In this interview, the Straus? discuss the joys of growing up in Las Vegas during the 1960s and 1970s, and the changes within the community over time, especially in educational opportunities. Both talk about Joyce Straus? career as artist and art educator, and the influence she had on their lives. They also remember Heidi?s father, Jay Sarno, and the impact he had on the local gaming industry. There is also discussion of the founding of Congregation Ner Tamid, the role of Jewish women?s philanthropy within the community, as well as the establishment of The Meadows School.
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David R. Wasserman was born on December 3, 1944 in Newark, New Jersey. In 1966 he graduated from Rutgers University with his bachelors in Zoology. In 1970 he received his Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. Upon graduation he served two years of active duty as a captain in the United States Air Force Dental Corps at Nellis Air Force Base.
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Gilbert Shaw, better known as Gil, was raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Los Angeles, California, where he had his bar mitzvah. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the US Navy and became a combat correspondent. The next twenty-seven years was a military career in both the Navy and Coast Guard and included service in both Korea and Vietnam. His training as a journalist and photographer gave him a trained eye on the history around him. This gave him a keen eye on his experiences as a founding member of Las Vegas' first Reform Judaism synagogue, Congregation Ner Tamid.
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Israel Independence Day Unites Community in Support of Israel, April 2, 1990, and "Media Advisory," April 2, 1991
