Jews in Nevada: A History

16. Walking the Walk, 1970–2005

9 264 0 The characteristic of being “Jewish” might be observed in one’s organizational affiliations, dress, or speech. However, Jewish values learned from childhood, such as tzedakah and tikun olam, inform the social consciences of religious adherents and those who have abandoned any external observance. These are matters of remembrance and intention. No substantive documentary evidence supports an explicit connection between religious belief and public persona during the first century of Nevada Jewish history. In recent times, it was possible to obtain some clues about the relationship of religion and life through interviews, which are subjective by nature. The ways in which Judaism , rearing, or exposure to Jewish culture affected the public lives of elected officials and community leaders proved as diverse as their expressions in the general population. The Philanthropists: Beneficence and Competition Tzedakah is the Hebrew word for charitable giving that encompasses everything from major philanthropy to pocket change in a poor box. The medieval Jewish scholar Maimonides wrote of tzedakah’s progression from the worst (grudgingly) to the best (anonymously).1 Jews contributing to the present work recalled heavy-handed solicitation for one or another Jewish cause to which the donors, in the end, gave halfheartedly. Others proudly contributed with panache and flair, reportedly to encourage others to give. A few gave conditionally or to achieve some tangible benefit. Others gave without fanfare . Many benefactors of Judaism and of Jewish causes were not religious. Some recipients of this beneficence attributed it to loyalty to tradition; others suggested it was a way for nonobservant Jews to have someone else do the observing for them. Another view was that Jews measured each other not so much by a devotional religious standard but through philanthropy. If there is 16 Walking the Walk 1970–2005 Walking the Walk 9 265 0 broad curiosity among Jews about the levels of tzedakah, it is a characteristic shared by Christian and nonreligious philanthropists. Nevada casino owners were among the early high-profile contributors to Jewish causes, and a few chaired the United Jewish Appeal campaign. Few local agencies, programs, and congregations could have survived without regular donations from the rank and file and the occasional noteworthy bounty from a wealthy angel. Las Vegas medical facilities might not have been erected without the benefactions of Dalitz, Rudiak, Molasky, and Nate and Merv Adelson.2 Many Jewish philanthropists, such as Sol and Ella Savitt of Reno, were affiliated with no Jewish organization and directed most of their generosity to the University of Nevada’s School of Medicine and the School of Journalism .3 The Las Vegas area was studded with public schools named for those who had been generous with time and money in the interest of education. Eisenberg, Goldfarb, Greenspun, Hill, Katz, Mack, Molasky, Ober, Sedway, Wiener, Wolff, and Wynn were some of the Jewish surnames adorning the lintels of the area’s schools. An alternative to the public school system was the Meadows School, founded and chaired by Carolyn Goodman. Nevada’s only nonprofit, independent, k–12 college-preparatory school, it attracts a number of Jewish students.4 Most wealthy Jews in Las Vegas and Reno were consistently generous in supporting Israel, international Jewish causes, the local synagogue with which they were affiliated, and pet Jewish programs or agencies in the area. The walls of every synagogue and adjacent meeting hall were filled with acknowledgments of support. The Las Vegas Jewish Federation publicly honored philanthropists at annual fund-raising galas, as did the Lubavitch Chabad, and the Milton I. Schwartz Hebrew Academy. Two of those honored by the federation in 2006 were Jayn and Art Marshall, who, like counterpart John Farahi in Reno, were bridge builders—forces of reconciliation—across denominational and political lines.5 Milton I. Schwartz’s Future for Judaism in Nevada Milton I. Schwartz was born in Brooklyn in 1921, of immigrant parents and raised in an Orthodox household. After serving in the U.S. Army Signal Corps he responded to an advertisement placed by Bugsy Siegel’s Flamingo developers for “the best mechanic.” He snagged the job in 1946, was paid jews in nevada 9 266 0 well, and claimed never to have met the boss. Schwartz avoided the gambling business, saying, “Those were people you didn’t want to be associated with. Maybe that wasn’t the best move. I could’ve made a lot of money. Not that I did that bad though.”6 He...