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For nearly two decades between 1950 and 1970, only one dentist of Jewish ancestry was known to be licensed to practice in Nevada. That was Dr. Joe Chenin. Finally, in 1971, the steadfast and easy mannered Dr. David R. Wasserman (1944 - ) broke through the barrier to become the second Jewish dentist serving the Las Vegas community. Over the following years, Dr. Wasserman built a sizeable following and immersed himself in the Jewish community of Las Vegas. Among his achievements is his participation and leadership in the formation of Las Vegas’ first Reform Jewish synagogue, Congregation Ner Tamid. He also would be active in the Jewish Federation. In 1992, as the HIV-AIDS epidemic affected dental offices throughout the nation, Dr. Wasserman saw an opportunity to get ahead of the infection. With the help of his wife Juanita Davis-Wasserman and his father-in-law Warren Davis, he developed, patented, manufactured and distributed a disposable tip for a treatment instrument commonly found in dental offices called a tri-syringe. This disposable tip brought sanitary options and great financial fortune to Dr. Wasserman and his family. In this oral history, Dr. Wasserman reflects on his joy of living in Las Vegas. He is a highly regarded dentist and leader in the Jewish community.

Dr. Catherine Bellver is a woman with tenacity. How else could one describe her drive to create the Women's Studies Program spanning fifteen years? As a faculty member in the Department of Foreign Languages, Dr. Bellver first joined the Women's Studies steering committee in 1979. In the following decade, the committee oversaw the formation of the Women's Studies Program, including: procuring administrative and faculty support, creating bylaws and course criteria, critiquing proposed cross-listed courses, and selecting course offerings. During that period she also worked with a volunteer group to create and staff the first Women's Center on campus. In the early Nineties, she played an instrumental role in the presentation of four public colloquia that addressed key issues pertaining to women. Dr. Bellver acted as interim director of the Women's Studies Program while overseeing the search for a permanent director. She continued to remain involved with the Women's Studies program, serving as faculty member on several committees. She has also worked in the Women's Caucus on the regional and national levels of the Modem Languages Association Dr. Bellver is currently Distinguished Professor of Spanish in the Department of Foreign Languages at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her work has appeared in journals such as Anales de la Literature Espanola Contemporanea, Hispanic Review, Hispanofila, Insula, Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Monographic Review/Revista Monografica, Revista de Estudios Modernos, Revista Hispanica Moderna, Romance Notes and Romanic Review. Dr. Bellver's participation in the creation of the Women's Studies Program illustrates how critical institutional and social progress can result from the commitment of a determined group of individuals. Her decades of involvement in creating an academic arena for the study of women and gender issues underscores the significance of women's contributions to the history of Las Vegas. In addition to the history of the Women's Studies Program at the University of Nevada Las Vegas this interview contains information regarding the creation of the first Women's Center on campus.

In this interview, Michael Saltman recounts his family background, his schooling in Michigan, and living abroad in London and Munich. His travels to Israel in 1968 reinforced his connection to Judaism. Saltman and his wife, Sonja, moved to Las Vegas in 1975 and he began working with Larry Larkin, who eventually became his partner. He discusses several projects he completed with Larkin, including shopping centers and apartment complexes. He talks about the changes in Las Vegas that came about from the availability of financing from legitimate sources, and the population growth of the area. He then talks about his involvement in the local Jewish community with the Jewish Federation, Anti-Defamation League and Congregation Ner Tamid.

In 1942, Michael Saltman, the son of a rugged Canadian entrepreneur and of an educator, was born in Flint, Michigan. Michael spent a fulfilling childhood in Flint, where his family was involved in the Jewish community, even helping start a new temple. However, his life changed dramatically when his father passed away during his teenage years. At his mother's insistence, Michael went to law school after graduating from Michigan State University, and received his Juris doctor from Wayne State University. From Detroit, Michael headed to London to participate in an LL.M. program, though he quickly withdrew and landed a position with a life insurance and investment company in London. Michael soon relocated to the company's Geneva office, where his job included establishing operations in Israel. It was during these trips that he more intensely connected with Judaism and his Jewish identity. Michael left the company to join a former colleague at Shareholders Capital Corporation, where he met his wife Sonja. The couple moved to Munich, where they lived until 1975, until moving to Las Vegas. In Las Vegas, Michael became a successful real estate developer. His projects include apartments, shopping centers and office parks, like Village Apartments, Campus Village Shopping Center and Renaissance Center. He later opened Food 4 Less grocery stores in Nevada, Utah and California, eventually buying the Kansas-based company from Lou Falley. He and his partner later sold the company to Kroger. Michael served on the local Jewish Federation's board of directors, and Sonja is a longtime board member for the Anti-Defamation League's regional office in Las Vegas. In 2003, Michael and Sonja co-founded the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution within William S. Boyd School of Law. Michael's other efforts to promote peaceful conflict resolution include the production of Streetball Hafla, a movie shot in Israel about Jewish and Palestinian teenagers interacting in basketball camp.