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Norma Friedman oral history interview
Oral history interview with Norma Friedman conducted by Barbara Tabach on November 19, 2015 and April 06, 2016 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. Friedman talks about owning Walker Furniture, her family history, and being a member of the Las Vegas, Nevada Jewish community for over 40 years.
Archival Collection
Arlene Blut oral history interview
Oral history interview with Arlene Blut conducted by Barbara Tabach on May 28, 2015 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. Blut discusses her involvement in local and national arts, being an actor and promoter/director of theater events, and recalls her experiences in Las Vegas, Nevada’s Jewish community.
Archival Collection
Jay Poster oral history interview
Oral history interview with Jay Poster conducted by Barbara Tabach on August 26, 2016 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. Poster describes his growth through his career in funeral services and his respect for the Jewish traditions of burial and grieving. He also talks about his participation in the ShabbaTones Band at Congregation Ner Tamid, and Desert Winds, a community based performance organization.
Archival Collection
Arthur Marshall oral history interview
Oral history interview with Arthur Marshall conducted by Barbara Tabach on April 18, 2018 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. In this interview, Marshall discusses his early life in Ohio and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1959. He talks about his Jewish heritage, the growth of the Jewish community in Las Vegas, and his role as a Jewish leader. Lastly, Marshall remembers the formation of the apparel store Marshall Rousseau, and working with local banks.
Archival Collection
Transcript of interview with Yvonne and Joni Fried by Barbara Tabach, February 17, 2016
Yvonne Fried, M.D., and Joan “Joni” Fried are the daughters of Milton and Esther Fried, the founders of Freed’s Bakery—the standard to which all other Las Vegas bakeries are held. When the Fried family moved to Las Vegas in 1955, Joni was born here, the fifth child, of the entrepreneurial Milton, a musician by night, and his industrious wife Esther, who guided the family business. As Esther’s 2006 obituary reads: in 1959 the couple opened “a snack bar, selling donuts and Danish, at the Panorama Market on West Charleston, while Milt played in the show band at the Sahara Hotel in the evenings.” For Yvonne and Joni, this made for a rather busy and interesting household to grow up in. Their Jewish upbringing was at Temple Beth Sholom. Photo above honors the multi-generations of the Freed’s Bakery tradition: (L-R) Joni Fried, Anthony & Sarah Fusco (Joni’s daughter) Max Jacobson Fried (Yvonne’s son) holding his son Lucas, and (far right) is his wife Emilia.
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Transcript of interview with Rabbi Malcolm Cohen by Barbara Tabach, December 16, 2015
In this interview, Rabbi Malcolm Cohen speaks about observed differences between British and American Jewish communities as well as new Temple Sinai initiatives to build community and engage younger congregants. Rabbi Cohen and his wife have two children, Elijah and Rachel.
Rabbi Malcolm Cohen was born on October 7, 1973 in London, England. He describes having the typical Reform Jewish upbringing of a second generation Londoner. His mother worked as an office assistant, and his father ran a bookshop and also prepared youth for their bar and bat mitzvahs. It was his father?s dedication to Jewish education and service that greatly influenced his career path. After earning a degree in psychology from Southampton University, Rabbi Cohen went on to get a professional qualification in youth and community work. He subsequently became the British Reform movement?s first outreach officer, leading the efforts to engage 20- and 30-year-olds to Judaism. At his wife, Sarah?s, encouragement, Rabbi Cohen enrolled in Leo Baeck College to become a rabbi. Upon finishing his studies in 2006, he got a job at West London Synagogue, a large Reform congregation, where he worked with a team of rabbis. In 2009, Rabbi Cohen took the position as Temple Sinai?s rabbi, where he has served ever since. In this interview, he speaks about observed differences between British and American Jewish communities as well as new Temple Sinai initiatives to build community and engage younger congregants. Rabbi Cohen and his wife have two children, Elijah and Rachel.
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Fran Fine oral history interview
Oral history interview with Fran Fine conducted by Barbara Tabach on March 04, 2015 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. Fine talks about her career as an attorney and family court judge. She also discusses her activity in Las Vegas, Nevada’s Jewish education, women's philanthropy and the Las Vegas Jewish Federation.
Archival Collection
Transcript of interview with Wilma and Burt Bass by Barbara Tabach, February 9 , 2015
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.
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Phyllis Friedman oral history interview
Oral history interview with Phyllis Friedman conducted by Barbara Tabach on March 02, 2015 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. In this interview Friedman talks about first coming to Las Vegas, Nevada to work for the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas (now Jewish Nevada). Then she discusses what made the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) work unique and about ADL’s programming fighting cyberbullying. The interview finishes with her talking about work in addressing and combatting anti-Semitism and listing other influential Jewish organizations working in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Biographical essay by Sidney Barouch, 2014
Sidney Barouch describes his experience during World War II living in Tunis, Tunisia, which was a French colony. Barouch discusses the facets of the war front in northern Africa, and the experiences of his family as Jews and business owners.
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