During the early 1970s, the boom of Las Vegas included many single people following family who had already settled there. Among those was Martin (Marty) Wilner. Marty?s parents were Leo and Mickey Wilner. Leo moved to Las Vegas to become the Executive Director at Temple Beth Sholom, the only synagogue in town. Marty, who was born and raised in California, had recently earned his doctorate in psychology at the University of Houston. He became a counselor at UNLV. Not long after, Marty met Linda at a Jewish Singles event. Linda was a divorced, mother of three children, who had moved from California to find comfort in living near her parents. Robert Wilner is one of her three children. He was adopted by Marty and works with his mother in the real estate business. In this interview, they recall together the Las Vegas of the 1970s. For Robert, he remembers his bar mitzvah, and growing up with Jewish friends under the careful eye of his grandparents. As an adult, he has enjoyed a successful career as a real estate agents working with his mother. For Linda, the success of real estate was being part of one of the most robust housing markets in the country. She and Robert recall an extensive list of visionaries who developed the valley, as well as the inherent challenges of water, unions and maintaining their high level of ethics.
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Ron Lurie talks about winning a seat on the Las Vegas City Council, and the voting population of the city.
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Oral history interview with Gordon Christie conducted by Larry DuRussel on June 30, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview Christie discusses working on the building of the MGM Grand Hotel, Fremont Hotel, Sahara Hotel, Desert Inn Hotel, and the Frontier Hotel. He also discusses religion, politics, family life in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the growth of Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Victor Givens conducted by LeGary Stowers on March 15, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Givens first talks about his family background and then talks about his educational, occupational, and residential histories. He then talks about the various qualities required of individuals who work in the casino industry, his beliefs regarding religion and gambling, and some of the motivations and goals that are present for those within the field of gaming.
Archival Collection
Board meeting minutes for the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas, Nevada, April 22, 1987.
Oral history interview with David Ober conducted by Stefani Evans on October 11, 2017 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Ober discusses his upbringing in Tucson, Arizona and talks about his parents’ careers. He recalls moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1989 to work for his father’s home building business, R. A. Homes, and opening his real estate company, Jorant Commercial. Ober describes joining Temple Beth Sholom, his involvement with the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association, and developing the Desert Shores community. Later, Ober discusses his mother’s career as a teacher in the Clark County School District (CCSD) and her contributions in designing the first program for visually impaired students. Lastly, Ober talks about CCSD naming a school in honor of his parents.
Archival Collection
