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Transcript of interview with Maurice "Maury" Halfon Behar by Barbara Tabach, March 14, 2016
In this interview, Behar reflects upon his childhood in France, and later adjusting to life in New York. He talks of his admiration for those that have cared for him in his youth, including Marie Cazous and his parents, Marco and Flora Behar. He details his career path, and how he ended up in Las Vegas. In addition, Behar describes a recent family trip to France, visiting his place of birth for the first time since leaving as a child.
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Levy Family Papers
Collection is comprised of scrapbooks, photographs, awards and certificates, and ephemera mainly dating from approximately the 1950s to 1970s gathered by the Levy family of Las Vegas, Nevada. This collection documents the personal and professional lives of three generations in the Levy family: Harry C. Levy, Al Levy, and Andrew “Drew” Levy. Materials in this collection also include photographs and clippings about the Levy Realty Company and about the various public positions held by Harry C. Levy, such as Las Vegas city commissioner.
Archival Collection
Dr. Ruben J. Acherman interview, July 18, 2019: transcript
Interviewed by Monsserath Hernandez, Laurents Bañuelos-Benitez, and Claytee White. Dr. Acherman has been practicing in Southern Nevada for nearly 20 years and continues to care for the community at the Children's Heart Center of Nevada in Las Vegas. Born and raised in the small town of Palmira, Colombia with his two sisters and parents. His father is from Romania and immigrated to Ecuador while escaping from Nazi occupied Europe during World War II. Dr. Acherman eventually moved to Cali, Colombia in order to attend medical school. knowing that he wanted to specialize in cardiology and being unable to do cardiology in Colombia he immigrated to the U.S. and specialized in pediatrics at USC. After practicing for two years in Toronto, he was contacted by Dr. Evans in 2001 with an offer to work at his practice in Southern Nevada where he was able to successfully perform the first balloon dilation in the state of Nevada.
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Transcript of interview with Rabbi Mendy Harlig by Barbara Tabach, October 18, 2017
Known throughout the Las Vegas community as Rabbi Mendy, Mendy Harlig is a leader of the Chabad in Las Vegas, which was introduced to the valley in 1990 by his brother Rabbi Shea Harlig. Since his youth spent growing up in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, where he was surrounded by Hasidic Jews, Rabbi Mendy seemed destined to become a Chabad rabbi. During the early 1990s he often visited Las Vegas and assisted his brother at the Chabad of Southern Nevada. Then in 1997 he met and married Chaya Harlig and the couple permanently relocated to the valley to be the spiritual leaders of the Chabad of Green Valley. As their family grew, so did their importance to the Chabad movement in Las Vegas. During this interview, Rabbi Mendy touches upon the nature of Chabad teachings and observance in the so-called “Sin City” persona of Las Vegas. He also shares about his participation in the Las Vegas Metro Chaplaincy program. He particularly reflective of his active role immediately after of the horror of the October 1 mass casualty at the Route 91 country music festival and his perspectives afterwards.
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Transcript of interview with Sonja Niekerk Walther and Wilma Vandenberg, November 20, 2017
The documentation of the Holocaust of World War II reveals the desperation of Jewish families to protect their loved ones from doom. In this oral history, Sonja (neé Niekerk) Walter recalls the story of being an infant handed off to a family friend for safety and nurturing. Next to Sonja is Wilma, her “sister” and the biological daughter of that friend. Sonja and Wilma are tethered together by history and love for Cor Vandenberg, mother and protector. Sonja was born in 1943 Holland to Simon and Rose Niekerk. At thirteen days of age she was given sanctuary by Cor, who raise her as her own for the next two and half years. She and Wilma reminisce about the circumstances that brought them together, their love of Cor, and the impact of being a child survivor of the Holocaust. Sonja also shares her family’s journey to the United States and to Las Vegas.
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Ellen Barre Spiegel interview, December 4, 2017: transcript
Ellen Barre Spiegel grew up in Jericho NY, a predominantly Jewish town in Long Island. Her ancestors had migrated to the United Sates prior to the outbreak of World War II. And for much of life her exposure to cultural diversity was limited. Ellen was born in 1962. She attended Cornell University, located in upstate New York, and graduated in 1984. Though the student population was 30% Jewish, the university expanded her knowledge of the world: her Protestant roommate explained that she had never met a Jew and Ellen replied, I have never met a WASP. Her college studies centered on consumer economics and she was a public policy major. Ellen was an early adopter of technology and her career path included positions at American Express, Prodigy (a joint venture of IBM and Sears), the Weather Channel, and Manufacturers Hanover Trust. Each company used her increasing experience with using technologies to improve connections with consumers. Ellen describes her Jewish identity as conservative and is a member of Midbar Kodesh Temple in Henderson. She talks about her bat mitzvah and her move back to New York to recite the mourner’s Kaddish for the year following the passing of her father. Later, she moved to Santa Monica, where she met Bill, her husband, using a new dating site called Luvitt AOL. After marriage, the couple saw financial advantages to living in Las Vegas and relocated their business and home to the valley in 2001. Soon Ellen noted that there was no active Democratic Club in Henderson and it became her mission to reignite the club. This launched a long list of political and civic accomplishments for Ellen. She has been an assemblyperson in the Nevada legislature (2008, 2013-2017). Her list of accomplishments and affiliations are on pages 46-47.
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