Volume 1, Number 1!

Masthead from the first issue of the Las Vegas Israelite of Nevada, January 29, 1965

On January 29, 1965, Jack Tell began publishing a newspaper dedicated to the Jewish community in Las Vegas. Fifty-one years on, and we are happy to present the first volume of the Las Vegas Israelite through our Digital Collections portal. This newspaper provides invaluable first-hand reporting of the state of the Las Vegas Jewish community as it grew from one synagogue in the desert into a bustling metropolis. Features of the paper include a weekly editorial by Jack Tell, national news briefs, community news and announcements in columns by Clair Dase and Helene Staedler, and a column from Temple Beth Sholom’s Rabbi Gold. The first year of issues also features an introduction to leaders in the community with details of their accomplishments and contributions.

The Israelite was an instant hit. The first issue reveals the eagerness of the business population to purchase advertising space, bumping news and other features to the next issue!

Some distinct features of the digitization process and presentation include transcriptions of the articles, which allows for full-text searching, and the ability to download and print articles, or even an entire issue. We hope you enjoy exploring the many pages of the Las Vegas Israelite! Check back often as we continue to add new issues! Also check out Nevada's contributions to the National Digital Newspaper Program at Chronicling America through the Library of Congress.