An Interview with Susan Molasky
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AN INTERVIEW WITH SUSAN MOLASKY An Oral History Conducted by Barbara Tabach The Southern Nevada Jewish Community Digital Heritage Project Oral History Research Center at UNLV University Libraries ©Southern Nevada Jewish Community Digital Heritage Project University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2014 Produced by: The Oral History Research Center at UNLV - University Libraries Director: Claytee D. White Project Manager: Barbara Tabach Transcriber: Kristin Hicks Interviewers: Barbara Tabach, Claytee D. White Editors and Project Assistants: Maggie Lopes, Stefani Evans ii The recorded Interview and transcript have been made possible through the generosity of a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grant. The Oral History Research Center enables students and staff to work together with community members to generate this selection of first- person narratives. The participants in this project thank University of Nevada Las Vegas for the support given that allowed an idea the opportunity to flourish. The transcript received minimal editing that includes the elimination of fragments, false starts, and repetitions in order to enhance the reader's understanding of the material. All measures have been taken to preserve the style and language of the narrator. In several cases photographic sources accompany the individual interviews with permission of the narrator. The following interview is part of a series of interviews conducted under the auspices of the Southern Nevada Jewish Community Digital Heritage Project. Claytee D. White Director, Oral History Research Center University Libraries University of Nevada Las Vegas ii i PREFACE Susan Molasky was born in Israel (what was then-Palestine) in mid-1930s, the daughter of Bukharian Jewish immigrants. With the end of World War II, at the age of nine Susan, her sister and mother were able to get visas to live with her father in London. It was in England where Susan learned English and began working, at a fabric shop on Regent Street. In 1957, Susan married her first husband, and the couple moved to Las Vegas on January 1, 1958. She knew immediately that the city would be her home. Susan and her husband moved to Las Vegas to help her brother-in-law, Leo Frey, renovate and manage the Moulin Rouge; their primary business was long-term room rentals to casino employees, occasionally renting to tourists when the casino hotels were full. After two years, her husband changed careers paths and the couple moved to Europe. They had three sons before returning to Las Vegas in 1964. In 1973, Susan married Irwin Molasky, whom she had met through her work with the Sisterhood at Temple Beth Sholom; both sat on the temple's board. Susan enjoyed the excitement and glamour that defined Las Vegas during the 1970s—attending show openings, visiting movie sets, and socializing with stars. But more than this, Susan devoted herself to helping others, most notably through the opening of Nathan Adelson Hospice. Her own battle with cancer, as well as serving as a caretaker for others, ignited her commitment to establish quality hospice care in her beloved city, and she has continuously led the organization's fundraising efforts. There are now two Nathan Adelson Hospice facilities serving the greater Las Vegas area. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Interview with Susan Molasky on March 11, 2014 by Barbara Tabach in Las Vegas, Nevada Preface iv Talks about her background, parents' emigration from the Soviet Union due to oppression of Jewish people, to Afghanistan, then to Israel (then-Palestine), where parents met. Describes father's diamond business; family moving to London; starting to work as soon as possible, starting at a men's fabric store. Mentions meeting first husband; moving to Las Vegas; moving parents to New York. Shows interviewer family photos, from grandparents to her children 1-5 Continues sharing photos, including of UNLV basketball team when won the NCAA Championship; Halloween parties at Las Vegas Country Club; fundraiser events with Kirk Douglas, Muhammad Ali; theme parties. Talks about grandparents; learning English when moving to England; more about selling fabric. Mentions how got the name Susan 6-11 Discusses moving to Las Vegas, renovating and running the Moulin Rouge, owned by brother- in-law;. Describes the close-knit community in city during that time; going to show openings; returning to London to give birth. Returns to Las Vegas, living at Moulin Rouge; two years later husband changes careers and family moves to Europe; has two more children; moves back to Las Vegas; buy home near synagogue and children's school. Sons attend military high school...12-14 Talks about Temple Beth Sholom; serving as Sisterhood president; meeting friends within the local Jewish community through involvement. Discusses battle with ovarian cancer, recovery; surviving an aneurysm. Chats about motivation to start Nathan Adelson Hospice; meeting husband Irwin; Irwin's career as property developer. Mentions moving to Regency Towers. Shares her love for her city, joy for life; exciting times meeting and befriending stars 15-22 More about connections to entertainers; friendship with Totie Fields. Talks about going to Sliver Slipper with first husband when initially moving to city; getting comped; favorite restaurants back then. Discusses friendships made within the Jewish community; Israel bonds; leading women's organization with Edythe Katz and Jean Weinberger 23-26 Describes fundraising event for hospice at MGM, involving local community members in its big show. Shares more photos, including those with Coach Tarkanian, Governor Mike O'Callaghan, Kirk Douglas, Parry Thomas, Mohammed Ali; Totie Fields, Richard and Penny Crenna, Burt Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor; photos with Irwin, dressing up at costume parties 27-30 Index 31-32 Photo appendix 33 v ORAL HISTORY RESEARCH CENTER AT UNLV Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project Use Agreement Name of Narrator: / SUS AAi /T) O Name of Interviewer: We. llic above named, give to the Oral I Iistory Research Center of UNLV, the recorded interview(s) initiated on ^-//-vPl/V along with typed transcripts as an unrestricted gift, to he used for such scholarly and educational purposes as shall be determined, and transfer to the University of Nevada las Vegas, legal title and all literary property rights including copyright. This gift does not preclude the right of the interviewer, as a representative of UNLV, nor llic narrator to use the recordings and related materials for scholarly pursuits. I understand that my interview will he made available to researchers and may be quoted from, published, distributed, placed on the Internet or broadcast in any medium that the Oral History Research Center and UNLV Libraries deem appropriate including future forms ol electronic and digital media. There will be no compensation for any interviews. Library Special Collections 4505 Maryland Parkway, Box 457010, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154-7070 (702) 895-2222 r v i Today's date is March 11, 2014, and I am sitting in the den of the Molasky residence here in Las Vegas. Would you state your name and spell it so that the transcriber knows exactly how it's spelled? Susan, S-U-S-A-N; Molasky, M-O-L-A-S-K-Y. Great. Thank you. I appreciate you letting me come here today to talk to you and learn about your Vegas experiences. You've written down here that you came here in 1958. I did. That was a long time ago. It was. But let's go back even further. You also told me that your mother lives here in the same building. Yes, she does. Tell me about your background. Both my parents were born in Bukhara, which is in Russia. I don't think it's Russia now, but in Russia. My mother left when she was ten years old. There was oppression there with the Jews. She left; the family left, actually in a horse and cart. Kids were all in the car. My grandmother had thirteen children. God rest her soul. It took them like four or five years to get from where they were in Bukhara to Afghanistan because that's the route to go through. They lived there—my mother was a young girl, so she wasn't married then—until she was fifteen and a half. Then they immigrated to Israel; in those days it was Palestine. She met my father. They got married. My mother had a set of twins. Unfortunately, both died. One of my other sisters passed, also. So there's just my sister and I, and she also lives in Las Vegas. They went from Palestine. She had 1 gotten married there and we were born. My father was doing business—I don't know if you're interested. I am. This is great. My father was in the diamond business. He left Palestine in 1930; it had to be '39, the beginning of 1939, before the war started. I was already born. My sister Shirley was in— In the belly. —in the belly. My father left. War started. He couldn't come back to Palestine and we couldn't leave until after the war was over. So in 1946, we got visas to go to London to be with my father because by then he had established himself in business. We went to London. Couldn't speak a word of English. My sister and I both went to school. I had a very tough time learning English, and then being thrown in school. How old were you by then? I was nine-years-old. I went to school and studied as much as I could, but I wanted to—we had very tough times in those days. As soon as I finished school I went to work. I wanted to get—you know how it is with a young girl, wants pretty clothes.