Board meeting agenda, Jewish Federation of Las Vegas, December 9, 1981

1030 East Twain Avenue ? Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 ? (702) 732-0556 ANNUAL BOARD MEETING December 9, 1981 AGENDA Welcome ? Dorothy Eisenberg Presentation of Awards Campaign Report ? Jerry Countess Report on General Assembly ? Eileen Kollins Report on Women's Division "Deportation" Experience ? Carolyn Goodman AFHU-DRI Symposium ? Jerry Countess Joint Distribution Committee Letter Brandeis-Bardin Retreat ? Michael Cherry Community Retreat ? Rabbi Kalman Appel Letter of Intent ? Jerry Countess Election of Board and Officers ? Dorothy Eisenberg Adjournment Re-Convention of 1982 Board Appointment of Campaign Chairman and Cabinet; Big Gifts Event Appointment of Committees Other Business Adjournment Annual Report Attached TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Board Membership Campaign Analysis Standing Committees 1981 Federation Guests Special Events and Projects Brandeis-Bardin Retreat Community Relations Committee Council of Presidents Endowment Committee Hillel Advisory Board Pentagon Fly-In Special "Mail" Project Super Sunday Women's Division Deportation Experience Young Leadership Development Committee Jewish Businessmen's Luncheon Group ANNUAL REPORT Introduction There is no perfect yardstick by which to measure the annual performance of the Federation. There are a few objective standards?like the campaign or some of the accomplishments of the Community Relations Committee?and there are a host of subjective evaluations that come from the numerous volunteers who work on the various Federation projects as well as from the perceptions in the community about the Federation role. The Annual Report contained herein is a combination of that kind of data, objective where it deals with numbers and numerical symbols, subjective when it presents historical events open to human interpretation. Organizations display a kind of life that, in some ways, is similar to human life: They convey a feeling about pace and movement; they show an intensity?or lack?of vitality, color, passion; and they function in an environment that portrays style as well as content. Those aspects of Federation life are not quantifiable, but they are also part of the way a Federation operates. In this report, we've tried to give not just a compilation of the Federation's activities this past year, but a sense of what concerns have dominated our attention, what issues have exercised our talents and energies. Planning for the future is interwoven with issues of current moment; support of Jewish education and leadership development seeks the same ends via different tracks; a score of permanent committees work as the active arms of the Federation body, their work augmented by dozens of ad hoc committee meetings during the year. Six years ago, the Federation (then the Combined Jewish Appeal) was a one-function organization, raising funds for the United Jewish Appeal. Today, the Federation is actively involved in the Jewish life of this community. The material contained in this report can help you judge the degree to which we are succeeding in making this transition to a full-service organization. JDC JEWISH FEDERATION OF LAS VEGAS Officers Dorothy Eisenberg ? President Neil G. Galatz ? Campaign Chairman (1st Vice President) Senator William H. Hernstadt - 2nd Vice President Philip Engel ? Treasurer Elaine Galatz ? Secretary Jerome D. Countess ? Executive Director 1981 Board of Directors Bernard Anapolsky* (Nate Mack Lodge) Rabbi Kalman Appel (Ex-Officio) Jeffrey Bernstein (Ex-Officio) Jack Borgen* (JWV) Michael Cherry* (B'nai B'rith) Fay Cramer* (JFSA) Dr. Judith Eaton Dorothy Eisenberg Philip Engel Herbert Fischer Elaine Galatz Neil Galatz Dan Goldfarb Carolyn Goodman Gene Greenberg Etta Harmell* (TBS Sisterhood) Charles Hecht Chic Hecht Rabbi Mel Hecht (Ex-Officio) Senator William Hernstadt Elizabeth Kanter Andy Katz* (Hillel) Edythe Katz Lloyd Katz David Katzman Irwin Kishner Martin Kravitz Howard Levy Arthur Liebert Arthur Marshall Stuart Mason Earl Monsey* (CRC) Alan Morger* (JFSA) Hal Ober Arne Rosencrantz Dennis Sabbath Fran Sanoff Alice Schwartz* (Hadassah) Richard Sefman Dr. Leon Steinberg Dr. David Wasserman Eli Welt Executive Committee Dorothy Eisenberg Philip Engel Elaine Galatz Neil Galatz Carolyn Goodman Charles Hecht Senator William Hernstadt Lloyd Katz Arthur Marshall Dennis Sabbath Eli Welt 'Organizational Members CAMPAIGN ANALYSIS No. of Gifts No. of Gifts Total Total 1980 1981 1980 1981 WOMEN'S DIVISION 279 250 $ 109,514 $ 154,217 Previous Givers (204) New Gifts ( 46) SUPER SUNDAY 226 10,958 Previous Givers ( 44) New Gifts (182) GENERAL DIVISION 251 244 958,742 715,233 Previous Givers (202) New Gifts ( 42) SUPER SUNDAY 592 23,158 Previous Givers ( 52) New Gifts (540) HILLEL 10 11 288 548 PROFIT FROM LAND SALES 85,000 Death and Removals 27 TOTALS 513 1,323 $1,153,544 $ 914,000 Outstanding Values 50 334,750 Projected Campaign 1,248,750 NEW GIFTS Women's Division 46 Super Sunday 182 General Division 42 Super Sunday 540 TOTAL 810 CAMPAIGN ANALYSIS (continued) As of December 4, the 1981 campaign has raised $914,000. There are still outstanding values of $344,750? less than 50 gifts. If all those values are realized, the projected figure for the 1981 campaign is $1,248,750, an increase of just over eight percent from the 1980 figure. There are still some weaknesses in the campaign. The most distressing of these is that three weeks before the end of the year, the campaign has 25 percent of its value still outstanding. It creates an obvious problem in budgeting for local agencies and is doubly difficult because it inhibits and delays collection of those pledges and, therefore, the distribution of funds. The area of outstanding growth in the campaign, of course, is Super Sunday. In that one function, the cam-paign brought in 810 gifts?of which 722 were brand-new, first-time gifts. For many years, the dilemma of the campaign was how to reach the new people streaming into our community. Super Sunday brought in 40 percent more gifts than the entire 1980 Women's Division and General Division campaigns combined. While Super Sunday gifts tend to reflect the lower end of the giving range, it is clear we have broken through to a much-wider giving base and have opened the way to the future growth and development of this community. Other Campaign Considerations There were 27 gifts we received in 1980 that we did not receive in 1981, due primarily to death or move-ment out of the community. It represented a campaign loss of about $20,000. There is still another factor that had an adverse impact on the campaign. In 1980, we were the recipients of an $85,000 gift, the proceeds from the sale of land donated to us by one of the charitable leaders of the Jewish community. Since there were no similar contributions in 1981, the campaign total was skewed by the 1980 sale. In addition to Super Sunday, there is one other happy campaign result highlighted in this report: the contribution of the Hillel students. In 1980, we received payment of $288 from 10 students. In 1981, the Hillel contribution was $588 from 11 students. A Hillel student was the first contributor to the 1982 campaign, already having paid his pledge of $35, divided between the campaign and Project Renewal. We take pride in the evidence of such growth and commitment from students who, one day, will be the leaders of this Jewish community. In conclusion, it is obvious that we must work to secure the contributions of our major donors earlier in the campaign so that we can budget more realistically and insure the flow of funds to our beneficiary agencies. On the positive side, it's clear we've made progress in reaching out to the community and have found wide support for Federation objectives. The needs of the 1982 campaign require that we try to improve all the aspects of our fund-raising drive. STANDING COMMITTEES and Other Regularly-Scheduled Meetings* Allocations Committee Local National Board (Jewish Federation of Las Vegas) Campaign Cabinet Community Relations Committee Holocaust Israel Local Community Relations Religious Freedom Soviet Resettlement Council of Presidents Demographic Study Group Executive Committee Hillel Jewish Businessmen's Luncheon Group Jewish Community Professionals Jewish Reporter Long-Range Planning Committee Super Sunday Women's Division Women's Division Business and Professional Group Young Leadership Development Committee Group I Group II *Not all the listings above are properly committees of the Federation (the Council of Presidents, for exam-ple, and the Jewish Community Professionals), but they do represent regularly-scheduled meetings attended by JFLV staff and volunteers. The list does not include the dozens of ad hoc meetings called to deal with specific problems. 1981 FEDERATION GUESTS The Jewish Federation of Las Vegas has been the beneficiary of visits from many people from around the country who have come in to support Federation programs and to help in the development of our com-munity. Most of them are listed below: Agron, Vicky ? Chairwoman, 1981-82 Young Women's Leadership Cabinet, UJA Avital, Colette ? Assistant Director, Information Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Berger, Mark ? Regional Representative, Council of Jewish Federations Chotin, Art ? Legal Counsel, America-Israel Public Affairs Committee Friedman, Rabbi Herb ? Past National Vice-Chairman, UJA Fruchthandler, Evan ? UJA Young Leadership Representative, Los Angeles Hait, Fred ? Assistant Director, UJA Western Region Lamden, Richard ? Executive Director, Handmaker Jewish Geriatric Center, Tucson Landes, Rabbi David ? Professor, Yeshiva University Lehrer, David ? Legal Counsel, Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, Los Angeles Lipstadt, Dr. Deborah ? Professor of Modern Jewish History, UCLA Mark, David ? Director, Public Relations, UJA National Office Medved, Michael ? Author Olmert, Ehud ? Member of Israeli Knesset Palti, Hannah ? Israeli Consul for Information, Los Angeles Phillips, Dr. Bruce ? Assistant Professor of Jewish Communal Studies, Hebrew Union College Pollack, Dr. Allen ? Past Chairman, American Professors for Peace in the Middle East Prager, Dennis ? Director, Brandeis-Bardin Institute Rosen, George ? Bear-Stearns, Los Angeles (Las Vegas-Israel Stock Investment) Rothmann, John ? Political Analyst, San Francisco Sabin, Dr. Albert ? Inventor, Oral Polio Vaccine Schechter, Harvey ? Regional Director, Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith Schindlin, Ahavia ? Director, Commission on Soviet Jewry, Los Angeles Signer, Michael ? Professor, Hebrew Union College Stecher, Jill ? Vice-Chairwoman (Super Sunday), Young Women's Leadership Cabinet, UJA Stopsky, Fred ? Director of Community Education, Webster College, St. Louis Telushkin, Rabbi Joseph ? Brandeis-Bardin Institute Volpert, Richard ? National Vice-President, National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council Weiner, Sandra ? Chairwoman, Houston Federation Wolfe, Leslie ? UJA Student Representative, West Coast Wood, Murray ? Director, Community Relations Council, Los Angeles SPECIAL EVENTS AND PROJECTS In addition to the regularly-scheduled weekly and monthly meetings of the various committees and the numerous ad hoc committee meetings, there is an on-going series of special events and projects that involves Federation staff and lay leadership. Some, like the Demographic Study and the Nevada Conference on Teaching the Holocaust, last for months, cover numerous meetings with scores of volunteers and require substantial staff support and administrative back-up. Others, like the Doctors' Meeting with Dr. Albert Sabin, are of short duration, with most of the work being done by our extraordinarily capable volunteers. Some special events?the General Assembly, for example?take both staff and lay people to distant parts of the country so they can interact with national community leaders and learn how better to serve their own community. Others, like the Western Region Federation Directors' Meeting, are closer to home and of short duration. On occasion, a project does not succeed or come to fruition. The Nevada State Council on the Arts Project ?Der Yiddisher Caravan?is an example of the latter. A great deal of time and work was expended develop-ing a grant application for that project. The grant was denied. Most of our special programs have succeeded beyond our expectations, most notably the Nevada Conference on Teaching the Holocaust. In addition to its success in achieving its objective, the project won a national award for Exceptional Effort from the Council of Jewish Federations. The following list enumerates most of the 1981 projects* in which the Federation was involved or provided assistance: American Friends of Hebrew University-Federation Project for Israel-Nevada Research Symposium Awards to Hebrew Academy Students for Special Federation Contribution American Zionist Federation Media Mission to Israel (Hank Tester) Board Orientation (hosted by Flora and Stuart Mason) Brandeis-Bardin Weekend Couples Club (created by Nancy Starr and Karen Simon) Community Relations Quarterly, Los Angeles (attended by Mimi Katz) Community Retreat, 1982, Lake Havasu Creation of New Joint Hillel Committee, B'nai B'rith, Federation Demographic Study (Dr. Bruce Phillips) Doctors' Meeting with Dr. Albert Sabin (Dr. Stephen Kollins and Dr. Neville Pokrpy) El-Jen Nursing Home Meetings General Assembly, St. Louis Holocaust Teacher Training, Los Angeles (Edythe Katz) Israel Aliyah (Yehuda Semberg) Israel Independence Day, Council of Presidents Jewish Institute of National Security Affairs Briefing, Washington, D.C. Nevada Conference on Teaching the Holocaust (Edythe Katz) Nevada State Council on the Arts President's Mission (Mark Fine and Marc Risman) Rickles' Public Service Announcement, Super Sunday Singles Club (Barbara Eisenberg) Southwest Regional Conference, San Diego Southwest Women's Division Regional Meeting Super Sunday University Presidents' Mission to Israel (Dr. Leonard Goodall, UNLV) United Mortgage Contribution to Federation's Endowment Fund Western Region Federation Directors' Meeting Women's Division Deportation Experience *The events and projects noted above do not include the special contributions of local people who have lent their services and talents to assist Federation programs. We cite, for example, people like Burton Cohen, who addressed a group of Hillel students taking the Hotel Administration program; Senator Jean Ford, who spoke to our Women's Division Business and Professional Group; Hank Greenspun, Oscar Good-man and Joseph Yablonsky, who addressed our Jewish Businessmen's Luncheon Group; and Maria Letitzia, whose agency developed the Federation logo. The Federation is indebted to these and to all the individuals who have served our Jewish community. BRANDEIS-BARDIN RETREAT On February 6, 1981, two bus-loads of Las Vegas Jewish residents left the city for the five-hour ride to Brandeis-Bardin Institute in Simi Valley, California. Ten members of the Reno Jewish community travelled to Brandeis independently. For two days, the group enjoyed a "retreat"? without telephones, radio or television to interrupt an intensive period of study and discussion. The subject was Judaism?not the familiar "how" to be Jewish, but the less familiar and more exciting "why" to be Jewish. The goal of the Brandeis "Introductory" Weekend is not to teach the participants how to fund Jewish causes or to defend Jewish interests, but to make committed Jews out of the uncommitted, and Jewish leaders out of the committed. The Nevadans who attended that retreat felt the Brandeis goal had been achieved remarkably well. The agenda of that "Jewish Weekend" included learning to pray together, exploring Jewish values and ethics together, singing and dancing together, studying and talking and arguing and seeking to understand together the tenets of Jewish belief that have held our people together through two millenia of dispersion. It was a unique and joyous experience. The experience was so good that, upon the group's return to Las Vegas, Federation immediately booked Brandeis for another such weekend, scheduled for February 5-7, 1982. Many of the members of the first Brandeis experience have volunteered to help recruit new members to share in the Jewish awakening at Brandeis 2. Brandeis Attendees Paul Aizley Jeff Bernstein Cherie and Kenn Brinkman Rachel and Michael Cherry Rae and Jerry Countess Lynn Dantzig Rea and Dr. Leon Dantzig Helen and Mark Edell Susan and Harold Gerecht Norman Gruverman Jan and Rabbi Mel Hecht Mimi and George Katz Marlene and Dr. Gene Kirschbaum Eileen and Dr. Stephen Kollins Shirley Kravitz Edith and Leonard La Vett Bea and Charles Levinson Flora and Stuart Mason Alan Morger Ava and Richard Naft Sari Phillips Lynn and Dave Pierce* Joan and Dr. Michael Pokroy* Janis and Harvey Riceberg Lynn and Arne Rosencrantz Barbara and Dr. Ronald Rothstein Roberta and Dennis Sabbath Linda and Leonard Shapiro* Jack Solomon Faye and Dr. Leon Steinberg Joyce and Dr. Neil Straus Sandy Sorentino * Barbara Eisenberg Lil and Don Eisner Catherine and John Farahi Barbara and Richard Fenster (* from Reno) COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE In 1981, the Community Relations Committee, under the Chairmanship of Senator Bill Hernstadt, played a vigorous role in the Las Vegas community. Five main subcommittees functioned in the following areas: Holocaust Committee (Edythe Katz, Chairwoman), Israel Committee (Dr. Stephen A. Kollins, Chairman), Russian Resettlement Committee (Charles "Skip" Hecht, Chairman), Local Issues Committee (Renee Diamond, Chairwoman) and Religious Freedom Committee (Howard B. Levy, Chairman). Holocaust Committee Under the leadership of Edythe Katz and Co-Chairwoman Eileen Kollins, the Holocaust Committee was responsible for enlisting the cooperation of the State Board of Education, the Clark County School District and Summa Corporation in sponsoring the Nevada Conference on Teaching the Holocaust, held April 1-2 at the Frontier Hotel. In 1979, the committee was successful in having the Clark County School District incorporate Holocaust study into its World History classes and make World History a required subject for high school students. The Nevada Conference was a follow-up designed to "educate the educators" who teach that important subject. The outstanding success of the Nevada Conference on Teaching the Holocaust enabled the Las Vegas Federation to win the Public Relations Contest of the National Council of Jewish Federations. The award was for "Exceptional Effort" in the national category of Intermediate Cities. The Holocaust Committee has an on-going relationship with the Clark County School District and the State Board of Education. Recently, six teachers from Nevada visited the Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Center in Los Angeles to learn more about curriculum materials and teaching techniques. The committtee plans to provide additional support services and continued education to the school system in 1982. Israel Committee Dr. Stephen Kollins' committee had an active role in 1981. Under his direction, it worked to rally com-munity support against the sale of the AWACS and related military equipment to Saudi Arabia. Ten mem-bers from Las Vegas Jewish leadership travelled to Washington, D.C. in April to discuss the AWACS issue with our two Senators and our Congressman. (Washington participants: Kenn Brinkman, Jerry Countess, Ken Epstein, Mark Fine, Senator Bill Hernstadt, Art Marshall, Herb Rousso, Dennis Sabbath, Mel Shapiro and Jack Solomon.) An outpouring of mail from every Jewish organization was sent to President Reagan and our Congressional representatives. Dr. Kollins dealt with the press and helped to insure that current information on the issue was distributed to appropriate sources in the community. Dr. Kollins continues as Chairman of an ex-panded Israel Committee in 1982. Soviet Resettlement Committee Working under the direction of Chairman Charles "Skip" Hecht, members of the committee have provided many hours of service to the more than two dozen Soviet immigrants resettled in Las Vegas. Gertrude and David Katzman and Fran Sanoff, especially, have been of outstanding service to the Russians by providing transportation, assisting them in obtaining support from community service agencies, and in finding and upgrading employment. On a quiet and unpublicized level, these individuals have been of invaluable assis-tance in helping to integrate the Russian immigrants into our community. In most cases, the work has been effective despite extraordinary obstacles. COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE (continued) Local Issues Committee A number of local issues required committee action this past year. Early in 1981, the Kim Marshall case led the committee to involve religious groups from almost every denomination in the community in a cooperative endeavor. Kim Marshall, a 16-year-old girl, was being asked to testify against her mother, who was alleged to have received stolen property from individuals of notorious reputation in the com-munity. The committee and the religious groups opposed the principle of coercing a minor child to testify against a parent, not the other elements of the case. That united opposition, in which the Federation's committee played a leading role, was one of the reasons Kim Marshall was-ultimately removed from the case. Mimi Katz, Program Director for the CRC, has worked with this committee and the three major shopping malls in the community to try to insure that, this year, any Chanukah exhibits in the malls would be in keeping with Jewish traditions and observance. Personnel at each of the malls have voiced sensitivity to Jewish concerns and indicated they have planned holiday displays in keeping with that concern. Religious Freedom Committee (Church-State Separation) Earlier this year, Howard B. Levy, Rabbi Mel Hecht and Eileen Kollins met with Dr. Claude Perkins, then- Superintendent of the Clark County School District, to open a dialogue between the Jewish community and the School District. Subsequently, Rabbi Kalman Appel, Dorothy Eisenberg, Rabbi Mel Hecht, Mimi Katz, Howard Levy, Aleda Nelson (Executive Director, NCCJ) and Myrna Williams have dealt with the School District at different times during the year on the problem of excused absences from school. It was agreed that a good working relationship had been established with the people from the District, and a greater understanding shown about Jewish concerns. There is still some problem with School Board policy working its way uniformly throughout the School District, specifically on the principals' and individual teachers' level. The environment in which this issue is being discussed, however, is substantially improved. The committee will continue to work with the District to develop policy and implement guidelines responsive to the needs of the Jewish community. COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS The Council of Presidents, made up of the Presidents of Jewish women's organizations, continues to meet monthly at the Federation office. The meetings provide a forum for a discussion of common problems and a sharing of information about community events. An important function of the Council was the year-long cooperative effort that created the highly-successful celebration of Israel Independence Day on May 10th. The Council of Presidents has also been of indispensible assistance to the Federation in the Super Sunday program. Members of every organization participated in Super Sunday '81, and the Presidents are already working to recruit volunteers for January 17th, Super Sunday '82. Members of the Council have worked actively in support of Jewish community interests. Their organiza-tions responded in strength on the AWACS issue and have supported the Community Relations Committee activities on several specific issues. It is clear that the cooperation of this leadership group will play an increasingly important role in the growth of the Jewish community. 1980-81 Membership Gerri Cramer Marie David Phyllis Feinberg Carolyn Goodman Joyce Korngold Davida Lewin Mollie Loewy Phyllis Mark Eunice Merkin Helen Perlmutter Janice Siegal Lue Smith Eva Weissman Temple Beth Sholom Sisterhood Jewish War Veterans Auxiliary National Council of Jewish Women Women's Division Board, Federation Chairwoman, Israel Independence Day ORT, Business/Career Chapter-at-Large ORT, Las Vegas Chapter-at-Large Congregation Ner Tamid Sisterhood ORT, Oasis Chapter-at-Large Temple Beth Sholom Senior Citizens Hadassah B'nai B'rith Women, Silver Meadows Chapter B'nai B'rith Women, Las Vegas Chapter ENDOWMENT COMMITTEE The Endowment Committee of the Federation Foundation has developed its first brochure, a Letter of Intent, which will be distributed to the leadership of the Jewish community in Las Vegas. It will seek to initiate a series of discussions with these philanthropic leaders for the purpose of assuring the continuity and growth of the Las Vegas Jewish community in the future. The Federation Foundation already includes the following assets: $ 12,439 ? Gertrude Sperling Resource Library for Holocaust Studies (Philanthropic Fund) Unrestricted contributions to the Foundation (land) $ 30,823 - United Mortgage 19,500 ? Anonymous 80,000 - Jack and Ethel Schieff Trust $130,323 In the coming year, the Endowment Committee will seek to hold a special seminar on current issues in philanthropic tax law for professionals in the fields of law, accounting and estate planning. It will also inaugurate a program of regular mailings to tax professionals on developing changes in tax law. Through these processes, it is hoped to acquaint the community with the Federation Endowment Fund and the numerous tax advantages of charitable giving. HILLEL ADVISORY BOARD The Hillel program at UNLV, jointly funded by B'nai B'rith and the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas, con-tinued through its fourth year. The impetus derived from the return of the two students who went to Israel in December 1980, Lee Drizen and Andy Katz, led to an active Hillel program and a successful first UJA campaign. Jeff Bernstein continued as Hillel Director in 1981. The Hillel group has grown in number and, once again this December, two students?Jay Levine and Richard Singer?have been selected to participate in a UJA mission, jointly funded by the students, the United Jewish Appeal and the Jewish Federation. With the growth in activity of the Hillel students, both in Hillel and in Hillel's separate UJA campaign, an obvious need for additional guidance for the group has appeared. An important need of the group is some kind of liaison with the two funding organizations, B'nai B'rith and Federation. It is important that the students have an on-going relationship with lay advisors who can then report back to the two organizations on the progress and the needs of the group. At Federation's request, B'nai B'rith and B'nai B'rith Women have provided members to join Federation's representatives on a permanent committee called the Hillel Advisory Board. That committee will report regularly to the organizations involved. The membership of that committee is listed below: B'nai B'rith Harold Goldsmith, Steve Weissman B'nai B'rith Women Lisa Weissman Federation Joan Brooks, Barry Vinik Hillel Officers Andy Katz ? President Jim Neipris ? Vice President (Program) Steve Saxe ? Vice President (Communications) Richard Singer and Jay Levine Debbie Wolfmark ? Vice President (Social) Sharon Huff ? Secretary Jay Levine ? Treasurer ? Campus Campaign Chairmen PENTAGON "FLY-IN" On April 26, 1981, 10 members of the Las Vegas Jewish community flew to Washington, D.C., to partici-pate in an extraordinary event organized by the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA)?the "Pentagon Fly-In." Fifty-four prominent Jewish leaders from around the country (including the 10 from Las Vegas) had been invited to the Pentagon in Washington for top-level briefings on national security problems. The "Fly-In" was hosted at the Pentagon by the United States Army. The intensive program began with a breakfast briefing on the Administration's position on the AWACS, presented by National Security Advisor Richard Allen. Later, at the Pentagon, the morning's sessions included opening remarks by Lt. General James Lee, Director of the Army staff, a strategic overview outlined by Rear Admiral Richard Paddock and a review of the Soviet weapons arsenal conducted by General William Moore. Major General Guy Hecker spoke on legislative issues during lunch. The afternoon program included a talk on military manpower issues by Major General Dean Tice and a review of the Rapid Deployment Force presented by Lt. General Glen Otis. The Pentagon portion of the day concluded with a dramatic tour of the National Military Command Center hosted by Lt. General Philip Gast. In the evening, JINSA had a reception for their Pentagon hosts and key legislators. The dinner speaker was General E.C. Meyer, Chief of Staff, United States Army. Later, Senator Rudy Boschwitz and Con-gressman Tom Lantos also addressed the group. Every guest had an opportunity to chat informally with the highest-ranking military leaders of the United States. The next day, prior to returning to Nevada, the Las Vegas group met with Congressman James Santini and Senators Paul Laxalt and Howard Cannon. The principal item of discussion was the Administration's intention to present Congress with the proposal for the sale of the AWACS and other military equipment to Saudi Arabia. The members of the group were gratified to have had the opportunity to present their views to the State's Congressional representatives. It is through such exchanges that legislators and their constituents can share in the process of government. The representation of 10 members from Las Vegas on a national group that included only 54 people was an impressive testimony to the concern we feel about national affairs. SPECIAL "MAIL" PROJECT In an effort to reach out to Jewish residents of the community who are unaffiliated with any local Jewish organizations, the Federation initiated an experimental program that made use of the special resource it has in the Jewish Reporter. The Federation has a mailing list of about 4,000 Jewish family names in Las Vegas, approximately half of whom are identified with some Jewish organization (Temple, B'nai B'rith, Hadassah, JWV, ORT, etc.). This group of people all receive the monthly issues of the Jewish Reporter. We took the names on our mailing list and compared them with the same names listed in the current copy of the telephone directory. There was an almost perfect ratio of 2:1?that is, for every familiar Jewish name on our list (Bernstein, Cohen, Goldstein, Shapiro, etc.), there are two names in the telephone directory. By extrapolation, we can surmise that the total Jewish community in Las Vegas is approximately twice the size of the community previously identified. Working with our mailing print-out and the telephone directory, we crossed off all the names in the direc-tory that appeared on our print-out. We then prepared a special mailing list of those people in the directory who had familiar Jewish names but were not on our print-out. The list came to 3,500 names. We tried to err on the side of conservative guesswork rather than on an overly-optimistic approach. Com-mon American names like Marshall, Smith, Brown, Green, Miller and the like were deliberately not included even though we have some of those names on our current print-out. The reason we did that is because of the number of those names listed in the directory. On a typical page in the telephone directory, there are four columns of names. "Smith" covers a page-and-a-half. The likelihood is that there might be a dozen Jewish "Smiths" in that listing. The cost of deriving that information was judged to be excessive. Having developed that special list of names and isolating it from our other mailings, we then sent each of these people a copy of the current issue of the Jewish Reporter. Included inside each newspaper was a special, highly-visible "flyer"