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The Party Goes On Las Vegas Embraces Millennials and Anyone Else Who’ll Listen

SEASONED TRAVELLERS

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TRAVEL APP-TITUDE

OFF-STRIP & HIP

ANITA DIAMANT

2/18/15 10:06 AM

ISRAEL’S 67th INDEPENDENCE DAY FESTIVAL • LAS VEGAS

SUNDAY MAY 10, 2015 • 2 PM – 7 PM SANDS EXPO HALL A

Featuring legendary Israeli recording artist

SHLOMI SHABAT & BAND Concert begins at 5 PM

FREE ADMISSION WITH ADVANCE ONLINE REGISTRATION https://CelebrateIsraelFest67LasVegas.eventbrite.com Featuring Jerusalem & Tel Aviv Exhibits • Entertainment • Kids Zone • Folk Dancing Interactive Activities • Kosher Food • Arts & Crafts Israeli Market Place Activities For The Whole Family

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Your help

will help change lives.

Like you, Planned Parenthood of Southern Nevada Cares.

No Matter What.

For over 40 years, Planned Parenthood of Southern Nevada has been honored to be part of your community.

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MARCH

50

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36

40

pulse

live

think

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explore The month’s event listings to help plan your day or your stay

46 Travel App-titude Touring in the digital age.

21

devour Where to find some of the best eats, drinks and foodie happenings in the Valley

34 know A conversation with renowned author Anita Diamant.

36 sense Hal Linden leads the JNF’s annual Sunshine Tour of the Holy Land.

40 taste It’s hip and happening at four new off-strip eateries.

We feature two on the west side and two on the east side.

24 discover Places to go, cool things to do, hip people to see in the most exciting city in the World

Night view of the Las Vegas Strip showing the Cosmopolitan Hotel’s pool and party deck.

50 The Power of the Dress Diane von Furstenberg empowers women with her classic dresses from the Spring 2015 Collection

2015 SUMMER CAMP SECTION INSIDE

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22 desire Sin City abounds in world-class shopping ... these are a few of our favorite things

on the cover

54 The Party Goes On Las Vegas embraces the millennials and anyone else who’ll listen.

The Party Goes On Las Vegas Embraces Millennials and Anyone Else Who’ll Listen

M A R C H 2 015

special section

www.davidlv.com

25 Summer Camps

SEASONED TRAVELLERS

TRAVEL APP-TITUDE

OFF-STRIP & HIP

ANITA DIAMANT

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Copyright 2015 by JewishINK LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. DAVID MAGAZINE is protected as a trademark in the United States. Subscribers: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we are under no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year.

The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited or contributed manuscripts, photographs, artwork or advertisements. Submissions will not be returned unless arranged for in writing. DAVID MAGAZINE is a monthly publication. All information regarding editorial content or property for sale is deemed reliable. No representation is made as to the accuracy hereof and is printed subject to errors and omissions.

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Every Night Is A Friday Night No more rush hour, no more morning meetings, no more rat race.

You’ve done more than your share of work. Now, it’s time to play. At Las Ventanas, every day is a weekend. Meet some new friends, have some laughs, and enjoy life. Oh, but don’t worry. Even though we’ve abolished weekdays, we still have happy hour.

Call 1 (888) 294-2123 to schedule your personal tour today!

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10401 West Charleston Boulevard Las Vegas, NV 89135 | www.lasventanaslv.com

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Publisher/Editor Associate Publisher

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Max Friedland

max@davidlv.com editor@davidlv.com

Joanne Friedland joanne@davidlv.com

EDITORIAL

Calendar Editor

Brianna Soloski

brianna@davidlv.com

Copy Editor Pulse Editor Production Assistant

Pat Teague

Contributing Writers

Hayley Cummings

Marisa Finetti ZoĂŤ Friedland

Marisa Finetti Jaq Greenspon E.C.Gladstone Dr. Sharon Knafo Chris Sieroty Brian Sodoma Lynn Wexler ART & PHOTOGRAPHY

Art Director/ Photographer

Steven Wilson

steve@davidlv.com

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Advertising Director

Joanne Friedland joanne@davidlv.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS 702-254-2223 | subscribe@davidlv.com

Volume 05 Number 10 www.davidlv.com DAVID Magazine is published 12 times a year.

Copyright 2014 by JewishINK LLC. 1930 Village Center Circle, No. 3-459 Las Vegas, NV 89134 (p) 702-254-2223 (f) 702-664-2633

To advertise in DAVID Magazine, call 702-254-2223 or email ads@davidlv.com To subscribe to DAVID Magazine, call 702.254-2223 or email subscibe@davidlv.com

DAVID Magazine sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable manner. This copy of DAVID Magazine was printed by American Web in Denver, Colo., on paper from well-managed forests which meet EPA guidelines that recommend use of recovered fibers for coated papers. Inks used contain a blend of soy base. Our printer meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards and is a certified member of both the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. When you are done with this issue, please pass it on to a friend or recycle it.

6 MARCH 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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contributors

Hayley Cummings is a UNLV graduate and a Teach for America corps alumnus. She spent two years in Phoenix teaching 8th grade science. In the summer of 2014, Hayley completed the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile hike in Spain. Once law school applications are all in, she intends curl up with some good books, play with her many pets and get back into nature .

Jaq Greenspon is a world traveling, dog loving, scuba diving, book collecting, writer currently residing somewhere in Eastern Europe. His words have been spoken by Capt.

Jean-Luc Picard and Robin Hood, been read by David Copperfield, and criticized by his 7th grade English teacher. He’d like to thank the members of the Academy, although he doesn’t know why. In his spare time, he’s a university professor and a kick ass uncle.

Marisa Finetti is a local writer, marketing professional and blogger. The Tokyoborn Finetti has called Las Vegas home since 2005. She has written for such publications as Spirit and Las Vegas and Nevada magazines and has a healthy-living blog at bestbewell. com. When she’s not writing, Finetti enjoys family time with her husband and two boys.

E.C. Gladstone is a Las Vegas-based writer/photographer and social media consultant. Covering the ever-growing worlds of travel, food, wine & spirits, he has contributed recently to BonAppetit.com, About.com, Thrillist, Everyday With Rachael Ray and multiple local Vegas outlets. Previously, he helped launched JLiving magazine and has held editorial positions with many websites and magazines including AOL.com, US Weekly, and Alternative Press.

His ideal day involves a busy kitchen, soul music, laughter and cask spirits. Currently he is compiling a book of his rock journalism from the ‘90s. Find more of his writing on food and beverages at nowimhungry.com and sipsavorswallow. com.

Chris Sieroty is a journalist in Southern Nevada, who covers banking and finance for Nevada Business Magazine. He is also a contributor to David Magazine, and a producer with KNPR’s State of Nevada program.

Previously, he was a banking and gaming reporter with the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Las Vegas Business Press.

Originally from Los Angeles, Chris was the banking and finance columnist for The Business Press, a weekly business newspaper and website in Riverside, Calif., and a contributor with the Riverside Press-Enterprise and Market News International.

Brian Sodoma has been writing professionally since 1998. He has called Las Vegas home since 2002, and enjoys covering the city’s business issues, real estate, health, sports ... anything that isn’t fashion. Sodoma currently is working on a feature-length screenplay about Las Vegas real estate meltdown with local fi lm director Roger Tinch. When he’s not hunting for new story ideas, Sodoma dabbles in real estate, coaches youth soccer and plays ice hockey.

Lynn Wexler has been a feature writer and contributor for magazines and newspapers, locally and nationally, for over 20 years. She writes a monthly online column entitled Manners in the News, which comments on the behavior of politicians, celebrities and others thrust in the public arena. She is the Founder and President of Perfectly Poised, a school of manners that teaches social, personal and business etiquette to young people.

She is a former TV Reporter and News Anchor. Of her many accomplishments, she is most proud of her three outstanding teenaged children.

8 MARCH 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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from the publisher Euromonitor International recently released its annual Top City Destination rankings, covering 100 of the world’s leading cities. The London-based market intelligence firm, with more than 1,000 analysts and consultants globally, surveyed these metropolises and ordered them in terms of international tourist arrivals. The growing increase in arrivals to these cities, by the Euromonitor metric, illustrates their growing significance as world tourist centers.

Particularly fascinating is that more than a third of all these destinations are in Asia. The rapid rise of carriers such as AirAsia (and a scary spate of air disasters of late in the Asia Pacific area) lends credence to this. Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok, for instance, are perennial TCD list-toppers. London and Paris remain Western Europe’s top destinations, with Zurich experiencing the strongest increase in tourism numbers.

Industry experts claim a strong dollar and lower gasoline prices, together with generally improved economic conditions at home, promise to return the U.S. to pre-recession levels of tourist activity. Meantime, Las Vegas ranks 23rd on the worldwide list, with only New York (7) and Miami (20) higher among U.S. cities. As remarkable as this may seem, Sin City is actually down two spots from a year earlier.

It’s for this reason that we cover the selling of Las Vegas this month. We query The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, industry leaders in hospitality and advertising/ marketing executives. Our cover story The Party Goes On (pages 54-57) is a great read. Find out why millennials are in the crosshairs of every ad campaign.

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND LOVE OF ISRAEL BREAKFAST TRANSFORMING TOMORROW’S GENERATION TODAY Wednesday, April 29, 2015 • 8:30 AM Adelson Educational Campus • 9700 Hillpointe Rd. • Las Vegas, NV 89134 Featuring Guest Speaker: Rabbi Leor Sinai Co-Executive Director, Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI) Rabbi Leor Sinai, originally from New York, made Aliyah with his family in 2011. His resume includes Jewish National Fund, the Dan Hotels of Israel, The Jewish Lens, Hillel Israel, and The Jewish Agency for Israel. Leor was ordained in 2009 at The Jewish Theological Seminary and works passionately to build networks of Jews worldwide with Israel at their center. He is currently the Co-Executive Director at JNF’s AMHSI, the only pluralist, non-denominational, fully accredited international study abroad program in Israel for high school students. AMHSI boasts over 24,000 alumni, 70% of whom sit on boards of Jewish and Israel focused organizations.

No one globe hops quite the way our esteemed contributor, Jaq Greenspon, does. When pondering the subject of travel in the Digital Age, it was natural for us to turn to him for answers. He writes of his experiences as a social media traveler, less trolling of Facebook than lolling on planes and trains. Travel App-titude (pages 46-49) explores the premise that there is an app for every travel need.

We at DAVID believe travel is vital to the nourishment of the human psyche –and that it’s never too late to be a jetsetter. Hal Linden and the Jewish National Fund have designed a travel package for the 55-plus crowd. These seasoned travelers are afforded an experience of a lifetime; so pack your Geritol, while we provide the details.

At the other end of the age spectrum, we offer insights for parents wondering what to do with their kids over the summer. Options abound, from sleep-away camps in the wilds to city-based day camps that provide fun in a safe and nurturing environment. Your aspiring thespians, musicians, athletes of every persuasion, science nerds seeking their own Big Bang gang, horsey types and “chosen children” will find their summer addresses.

My children spent summers in upstate New York at Camp Tel Yehuda. They swam the mighty Delaware River and cycled to Woodstock, all while feeding the local mosquito population (thank G-d for antihistamine creams). Proof of the success of this experience is that our progeny volunteered to return as camp counselors.

May the road rise to meet you ... May the wind be always at your back. Until next month, I’ll see you on the racks.

Max Friedland max@davidlv.com

Dietary laws observed RSVP by April 17, 2015 at jnf.org/lvbreakfast or contact Jennifer Playstead at jplaystead@jnf.org or 702.434.6505 x958. jnf.org • 800.JNF.0099 10 MARCH 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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PAHRUMP HOT AIR BALLOONS 3.20-22

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CSN ARTSPACE GALLERY EXHIBITION LOUGH & MACWEENEY - A DONATION FROM THE KEVIN DEBBS COLLECTION: Through March 20, times vary, free. CSN Cheyenne, 3200 E. Cheyenne Avenue, North Las Vegas. 702-651-4000. csn.edu/pac DAVID COLMAN - SANTA CONFESSIONAL: Through March 8, times vary, free. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-6987000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

V E G A S

BELLAGIO CONSERVATORY - CHINESE NEW YEAR: Through March 15, ongoing, free.

Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-693-7111. bellagio.com NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT: Times vary, $39. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

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JEWEL FIRST MONDAY YOGA CLASS: 7 p.m., free. Amanda Harris Galley of Contemporary Art, 900 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. For more information, contact Marni Unger at 702-479-4437. jewishlasvegas.com SHEN YUN: Through March 4, 7:30 p.m., $54. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

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MOMIX - ALCHEMIA: 7:30 p.m., $19-$69. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

March 1

BROADWAY BOUND - THE ADDAMS FAMILY: Through March 7, times vary, $15. Summerlin Library, 1771 Inner Circle Drive, Las Vegas.

702-838-5131. broadwayboundlv.com WHILE I AM STILL ART EXHIBIT: Through May 9, times vary, free. Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-507-3630. lvccld.org BOYZ II MEN: Encores March 13-15 and March 27-29. Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-791-7111. mirage.com JEFF DUNHAM: Varying dates through March 29, times vary, $72. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 866-919-7472. planethollywoodresort.com

TUSKEGEE LOVE LETTERS: 2 p.m., free.

Windmill Library, 7060 W. Windmill Lane, Las Vegas. 702-507-6036. lvccld.org FISHBONE: 7 p.m., $21-$25. Backstage Bar and Billiards, 601 Fremont Street, Las Vegas.

702-382-2227. backstagebarandbilliards.com MCCARTNEY YEARS: 7:30 p.m., $25. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702796-7111. southpointcasino.com CSN ARTSPACE GALLERY EXHIBITION EMILY MCILROY - WILDS: Through March 20, times vary, free. CSN Cheyenne, 3200 E. Cheyenne Avenue, North Las Vegas. 702-6514000. csn.edu/pac

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OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN: Through March 7. Encores March 10-14 and March 17-21.

7:30 p.m., $70-$150. Flamingo, 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-733-3111. flamingolasvegas.com

RON WHITE: 7:30 p.m., $79.99. Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-791-7111. mirage.com RASCAL FLATTS VEGAS RIOT! WITH SPECIAL GUEST CRAIG WAYNE BOYD: Through March 14, 8 p.m., $39.50. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702693-5000. hardrockhotel.com KOBALT 400: Through March 8, times vary, costs vary. Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 7000 Las Vegas Blvd. N., Las Vegas. 702-644-4444. lvms.com STORYTIME IN THE SQUARE: Wednesdays through March 25, 11 a.m., free. Town Square Las Vegas, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-914-9154. mytownsquarelasvegas.com BOOMER WEDNESDAYS - JERRY TIFFE: 6:30 p.m., free. Santa Fe, 4949 N. Rancho Drive, Las Vegas. 702-658-4900. santafestation.sclv.com

12 MARCH 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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THE COMPOSERS SHOWCASE OF LAS VEGAS: 10:30 p.m., $20. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

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ISRAELI-AMERICAN COUNCIL - DANNY, GIDI & FRIENDS CONCERT: 8 p.m., $40.

Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

For more information, contact Hadas Newman at 702-786-6700 or email her at hadas@ israeliamerican.org. broadwayboundlv.com

JEWEL KOSHER POKER: 2 p.m., $80.

Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

For more information, contact Marni Unger at 702-479-4437. jewishlasvegas.com BRANDEIS BOOK AND AUTHOR LUNCHEON: 10:30 a.m., $70. Tournament Players Club, 1700 Village Center Circle, Las Vegas. For more information, contact Evelyn Brunner at evelynbrunner@cox.net. broadwayboundlv.com

NO H8 CAMPAIGN PHOTO SHOOT: 4 p.m., $25-$40. The Center Las Vegas, 401 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas. 702-733-9800. thecenterlv.org

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SIN CITY OPERA - TROUBLE IN TAHITI: Through March 7. Encore March 13-14, times vary, $10-$15. Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 S. McLeod Drive, Las Vegas. 702-4557030. http://tinyurl.com/kxn8r5j

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JOHN MULANEY: Time TBA, $39.99. Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-7917111. mirage.com BILL MEDLEY WITH SPECIAL GUEST MCKENNA MEDLEY: Through March 8, 7:30 p.m., $45. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com BILL ENGVALL: 9 p.m., $59.95. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-894-7111. treasureisland.com HAPA: Through March 7, 7 p.m., $35.

The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

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DAVID PERRICO - POP EVOLUTION: Saturdays through March 28, 11 p.m., free.

Red Rock Hotel, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-797-7777. redrock.sclv.com TIM ALLEN: 10 p.m., $59.99. Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-791-7111. mirage.com TUSKEGEE LOVE LETTERS: 7 p.m., free. West Las Vegas Library, 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-507-3989. lvccld.org LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC MASTERWORKS IV - CABRERA CONDUCTS MENDELSSOHN AND SCHUMANN: 7:30 p.m., $26. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

MOMIX - ALCHEMIA: 7:30 p.m., $19$69. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

LUCKY DEBELLEVUE - COLLABORATION / EXCHANGE: Through April 12, times vary, free. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com HISPANIC CULTURE BOOK CLUB: Reading In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Ă lvarez.

6 p.m., free. Charleston Heights Art Center, 800 Brush Street, Las Vegas. 702-229-6383. artslasvegas.org

LAS VEGAS KOLLEL LECTURE-THE AFTERLIFE, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?: 7 p.m., free. 1755 Village Center Circle, Las Vegas. rabbirubenstein@lasvegaskollel.org ART AND WINE - FABERGE REVEALED: 5 p.m., $34-$42. Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-693-7871. bellagio.com

Wishing all a Happy and Healthy Passover

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HISPANIC CULTURE FILM CLUB: Watching In the Time of the Butterflies. 6:30 p.m., free. Charleston Heights Art Center, 800 Brush Street, Las Vegas. 702-229-6383. artslasvegas.org JOHN TARTAGLIA'S IMAGINOCEAN THE LIVE GLOW-IN-THE-DARK FAMILY MUSICAL!: 6 p.m., $12.95. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

301 N. Buffalo Drive

255-3444

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IN ITS ENTIRETY - THE EAGLES - THEIR GREATEST HITS: 7:30 p.m., $15. Red Rock Hotel, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas.

702-797-7777. redrock.sclv.com

BAYSIDE: 7 p.m., $18.50-$23. Hard Rock Live, 3771 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-7337625. hardrock.com

WhereTheLocalsEat.com

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JIM BREUER: Through March 14, 7:30 p.m., $25. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com LIPSHTICK COMEDY SERIES PRESENTS WHITNEY CUMMINGS: Through March 14, time TBA, cost TBA. Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-414-1000. venetian.com CRAIG FERGUSON’S HOT & GRUMPY TOUR - WALKING THE EARTH: 8 p.m., $25. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com GEORGE LOPEZ: Through March 14, 10 p.m., $59.99-$79.99. Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd.

S., Las Vegas. 702-791-7111. mirage.com BROADWAY IN THE HOOD - ONCE ON THIS ISLAND: Through March 15, times vary, $21. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

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JUSTIN SHANDOR IN ELVIS, THE ALOHA CONCERT TRIBUTE: 7 p.m., $30-$42. M Resort, 12300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-797-1000. themresort.com SPRING FLING BOOK FAIR: 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER BOOK CLUB: Reading: Pirates and Farmers: Essays on Taste by Dave Hickey. 2 p.m., free. The Writer's Block, 1020 Fremont

Street, Suite 100, Las Vegas. 702-550-6399. thewritersblock.org JASON MRAZ AND RAINING JANE: 8 p.m., $50-$70. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

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RINGO STARR AND HIS ALL STARR BAND: 7:30 p.m., $69. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-944-3200. palms.com RICARDO ARJONA: 8 p.m., $59-$181. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

866-919-7472. planethollywoodresort.com SEMICOLON; THE ADVENTURES OF OSTOMY GIRL: 4 p.m., $50. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/168WIl3. broadwayboundlv.com JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE AGENCY'S TZEDAKAH BRUNCH: 11 a.m.,$150. Three Square Food Bank, 4190 N. Pecos Road, Las Vegas. 702-732-0304. jfsalv.org ST. PATRICK'S DAY FESTIVAL: Through March 17, times vary, free. Ri Ra, 3930 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7771. rira. com/las-vegas

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WOMENS PHILANTHROPY UNITED EVENT: 6 p.m., cost TBA. SLS, 2535 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. For more information, contact Marni Unger at 702-479-4437. jewishlasvegas.com

Jason Mraz and Raining Jane 3.15

NEWSIES: Through March 22, times vary, $39. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

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ELTON JOHN: Varying dates through March 31, 7:30 p.m., $55-$250. Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-731-7110. caesarspalace.com JEWISH FEDERATION BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORK PANEL: Topic: Affordable Care Act - Its Impact on Nevada.

6:30 p.m., cost TBA. InNEVation at Switch, 6795 Edmond Street, Las Vegas. For more information, contact Marni Unger at 702-4794437. jewishlasvegas.com LGBTQ CAREER FAIR: 1 p.m., free. The Center Las Vegas, 401 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas. 702-733-9800. thecenterlv.org BOOMER WEDNESDAYS - BEST OF THE CROONERS: 6:30 p.m., free. Santa Fe, 4949 N. Rancho Drive, Las Vegas. 702-658-4900. santafestation.sclv.com

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BELLAGIO EXECUTIVE CHEF'S CULINARY CLASSROOM - DIM SUM AND NOODLES: 7 p.m., $135. Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-693-7111. bellagio.com

Ringo Starr and His All Star Band 3.15

MARCH MADNESS TOURNAMENT VIEWING PARTIES: Through March 21, times vary, costs vary. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com

14 MARCH 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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BLACK MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE - PANEL CROSSING THE BLACK ATLANTIC: 7 p.m., free. UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas. blackmountaininstitute.org

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EXPANDING THE ARTS - SUDDENLY SONDHEIM: 7 p.m., $50. Faith Lutheran, 2015 S. Hualapai Way, Las Vegas. faiththeatrecompany.com JO KOY: 9 p.m., $54.95. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-894-7111. treasureisland.com PAHRUMP HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL: Through March 22, times vary, costs vary.

Petrack Park, 150 State Highway 160, Pahrump. visitpahrump.com/events THE LETTERMEN: Through March 22, 7:30 p.m., $25. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com JAKE SHIMABUKURO: Through March 21, 7 p.m., $39. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

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BILL MAHER: Through March 22, 8 p.m., $43.

Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas.

702-944-3200. palms.com THE MIKVEH MONOLOGUES: 8 p.m., $30$230. Temple Beth Sholom, 10700 Havenwood Lane, Las Vegas. For more information, contact

Elizabeth Bricker at 702-794-0090 or email her at ebricker@jccsn.org. http://jccsn.org/index. php/mikveh-monologues/ SOLOMON SCHECHTER DAY SCHOOL GALA: 7:30 p.m., cost TBA. For more information and to register, contact Denise Hahamy at 702-813-3420 or email her at denise@ssds-lv.org. broadwayboundlv.com

NMLS 335665

RICHARD CHEESE AND LOUNGE AGAINST THE MACHINE: 8 & 10:30 p.m., $25-$45. Sunset Station, 1301 W. Sunset Road, Henderson. 888786-7389. sunsetstation.sclv.com LIPSHTICK COMEDY SERIES PRESENTS GARFUNKEL AND OATES: Time TBA, cost TBA. Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-414-1000. venetian.com WALK FOR WISHES: 8 a.m., costs vary. Town Square Las Vegas, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-914-9154. mytownsquarelasvegas.com

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RAILROAD EARTH: 8 p.m., $20-$25.

Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. vegas. brooklynbowl.com

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SEEK, NOURISH, IGNITE - A WOMEN'S RETREAT: 9:30 a.m., $36-$230. Three Square Food Bank, 4190 N. Pecos Road, Las Vegas.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Bricker at 702-794-0090 or email her at ebricker@jccsn.org. http://jccsn.org/index. php/mikveh-monologues/

Refinance Purchases Reverse Mortgages

Ira Epstein President

NMLS 308738 Nev. Lic. 2749

1401 Hillshire Dr. #150 Las Vegas, NV 89134 Tel:702.8717800 Cell:702.561.5444 Fax:702.871.7808 ira@statelinefundinginc.com

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Now in Las Vegas

Jamie G’s

“A True Taste of South Africa”

Biltong (Beef Jerky)

Droewors (Dried Sausage)

Boerewors (Farmers Sausage)

For Prices and Orders: james.geere70@gmail.com Elton John 3.18-31

720.346.0048

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19TH ANNUAL WAG-A-TAIL WALK-A-THON: To benefit Las Vegas Valley Humane Society. 8 a.m., free-$30. Centennial Hills Park, 7101 N. Buffalo Drive, Las Vegas. lvvhumane.org

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RX BANDITS: 7 p.m., $16-$18. Fremont Country Club, 601 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-3826601. fremontcountryclublasvegas.com

ART IN THE AFTERNOON: 11 a.m., free.

Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, 888 W. Bonneville Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-483-6000. broadwayboundlv.com

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THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA: 5 p.m., $20.50$24. Hard Rock Live, 3771 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-733-7625. hardrock.com

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BOOMER WEDNESDAYS - KJUL PRESENTS LAS VEGAS JAZZ SOCIETY 6:30 p.m., free.

Santa Fe, 4949 N. Rancho Drive, Las Vegas.

702-658-4900. santafestation.sclv.com

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GIRLS NIGHT - THE MUSICAL: Through March 29, times vary, $35. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

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DANIEL TOSH: Through March 28, times vary, $59.99. Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-791-7111. mirage.com

Widespread Panic 3.27-28

THE DIRTY HOOKS: 8 p.m., $9-$11.

Backstage Bar and Billiards, 601 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-382-2227. backstagebarandbilliards.com WIDESPREAD PANIC: Through March 28, 8 p.m., $55. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com CHARLIE MURPHY: Through March 29, 7:30 p.m., $25. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111.

southpointcasino.com

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LIPSHTICK COMEDY SERIES PRESENTS CAROLINE RHEA AND ELAYNE BOOSLER: Time TBA, cost TBA. Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-414-1000. venetian.com PURPLESTRIDE LAS VEGAS 5K RUN AND FAMILY FUN WALK: 7 a.m., free. Town Square Las Vegas, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-914-9154. mytownsquarelasvegas.com LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC - POPS IV SYMPHONIC SPECTACULAR: 7:30 p.m., $26. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

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MITZVAH DAY - COMMUNITY WIDE DAY OF SERVICE: 9:30 a.m., free. Jewish Federation, 2317 Renaissance Drive, Las Vegas. For more information, contact Marni Unger at 702-4794437. jewishlasvegas.com

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LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS: 7:30 p.m., $29. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

London Symphony Orchestra and Michael Tilson Thomas 3.30

To submit your event information, email calendar@ davidlv.com by the 15th of the month prior to the month in which the event is being held.

16 MARCH 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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devour Bon appétit!

By paying homage to skillful culinary techniques, celebrated libations and a sexy atmosphere, Michael Mina delivers an unforgettable interpretation of a Parisian brasserie.

“Every detail transports guests to a café along the Champs-Élysées in the 1920s,” says the James Beardaward-winning chef. Steak Frites is a perfect dish for French food aficionados and novices alike, featuring an 8-ounce flat iron, 12-ounce ribeye or 8-ounce filet, which can be accompanied by béarnaise, au poivre, bordelaise or foie gras butter. Pair the dish with simply sinful beef fat fries.

BARDOT Brasserie, Aria Resort & Casino, 3730 Las Vegas Blvd., S. Las Vegas. 877-230-2742

Smashed Irishman Tradition and innovation are the order of the day at the funky gastropub, Culinary Dropout. The Smashed Irishman’s mint highlights the warmth of Jameson Irish whiskey. The full-body flavor, created by a Guinness reduction, touches the taste buds through each sip and makes for a true Irish experience.

Ingredients: .75 oz. honey syrup .5 oz. Guinness reduction* .75 oz. lemon juice 1.5 oz. Jameson whiskey Garnish: Mint- 5 sprigs Glassware: Bucket glass

Urban Turban Urban Turban transports the flavors of India direct to Las Vegas.

Drawing inspirations from their hometown of Mumbai, co-owners Jasmine and Bhushan Arolkar deliver a modern dining experience with a variety of cuisine styles from all regions of India and across the globe. Guests can enjoy a traditionally international menu of Bombay bites, favorite Indian fare and an extensive wine and cocktail menu. A single bite must-have is the Flavor Burst, a crusty round mini puff pastry stuffed with potato mash, yogurt, tamarind and a touch of select herbs.

Urban Turban, 3900 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-826-3216

*To make Guinness reduction, bring 24 oz of Guinness in a pan to a simmer over medium heat and let simmer until reduced by half, about 20 minutes.

Add all ingredients into shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into buckets glass. Garnish with mint sprig.

Culinary Dropout, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-522-8100. www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2015

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Lighten Up With Pastels Perfect for the garden party is the elegant Rafell coat, with its bold rose pattern, $535. Ted Baker London, Fashion Show, 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-835-5450.

Launch into some serious spring style with these curvy, skyhigh platform sandals detailed with an ankle strap secured by a polished buckle, $80. Topshop, Fashion Show, 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-866-0646.

The stylish pink Vince Camuto shades will add a bit of retro appeal to the spring wardrobe, $80. Vince Camuto , Fashion Show, 3200 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas. 702-816-5884.

This sun-fabulous diamond-jacquard dress comes to life with its flared asymmetric flounce and curve cinching, $129. Bebe, Fashion Show, 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-892-8083.

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Inspired by the vintage satchels, the Tessie bag has a refined yet retro elegance. It has an adjustable leather shoulder strap that can be worn on the shoulder or as a hands-free messenger bag. $990. Mulberry, Forum Shops at Caesars. 3500 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas 702-382-0496.

The perfect timepiece to add glamour to any occasion is the Runway Twist from Michael Kors. The iconic case silhouette sparkles with crystals, while the twisted links add modern charm. $250. Macy’s, Fashion Show, 3200 Las Vegas Boulevard, S., Las Vegas. 702-731-5111.

Swarovski’s bestselling Slake bracelet in a gorgeous gradation of fresh spring colors. Embellished with crystals, this light green Alcantara® bracelet wraps comfortably around your wrist for a twisted look. $69. Swarovski, Fashion Show, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-732-8773.

A soft suede jacket in a classic denim shape features high-gloss patent leather flap pockets, yoke and collar, $4,295. Burberry, Grand Canal Shoppes, 3327 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-382-1911. www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2015

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discover Environmental stewardship Getting outdoors and learning about Southern Nevada’s natural surroundings is as simple as participating in the Nevada Naturalist program. On March 7, between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., The Lifelong Learning Center is hosting an open house, where participants can chat with Nevada naturalists, meet instructors, see interesting and educational project presentations, engage in activities, learn about exciting volunteer opportunities, tour the Outdoor Education Center and more.

The Lifelong Learning Center, 8050 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-948-5906

Imagine Peace Yoko Ono’s worldwide anti-violence initiative can now be experienced inside Cosmopolitan’s digital lobby. Imagine Peace encourages the community to take responsibility and promote worldwide peace.

Accompanied by an instrumental version of John Lennon’s iconic Imagine, the words “Imagine Peace” are inscribed in 24 languages over a cloudscape, within three minutes of footage. Ono’s interactive installation Wish Tree enables guests to write and hang their wishes on a live tree inside the resort. Following this installation, the collected wishes will be sent to Ono for archiving at the Imagine Peace Tower site, and the tree will be planted in the local community.

Erik Kabik

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000

Na+ therapy for allergy relief Allergies are common in the Las Vegas valley, with the main culprits being pollen, mulberry and juniper. The newly opened Salt Room LV is the first of its kind in Las Vegas to offer salt therapy. This drug-free holistic therapy recreates the microclimate of a Himalayan salt cave. The therapy helps treat allergies and other respiratory conditions, such as cold, flu, allergies, asthma, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, sinus infections and more. Guests simply relax in recliner seats with dim lighting and breathe in therapeutic, salt-infused air.

The Salt Room LV, 1958 Village Center Circle, #7, Las Vegas.

702-228-7258 20 MARCH 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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LION OF JUDAH LUNCHEON IN SUPPORT OF THE 2015 JEWISH FEDERATION CAMPAIGN Venue 3

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Chairman’s Salon at Wynn, Las Vegas

Date January 22, 2015

Photos 1.

(left to right) Fran Fine Ventura, Ellen Schaner, Special Guest Sally Oren and Barbara Silverberg

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Belinda Donner and Judy Mack

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Susan Molasky and Jane Schorr

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(left to right) Marla Letizia, Sally Oren and Former Congresswoman Shelley Berkley

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(left to right) Sally Oren, Sharon Sigesmund Pierce, and Marci Parejo

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Co-Chairs Barbara Silverberg and Ellen Schaner

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Stefanie Tuzman and Jennifer Sher

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(left to right) Susan Reinglass, Jane Schorr and Lynn Weidner

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(left to right) Elaine Galatz, Debra Cohen and Nancy Weinberger

10. Marla Letizia and Christy Molasky

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THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF LAS VEGAS CHAMPAGNE FUNDRAISER AT KIKI DE MONTPARNASSE Venue Kiki de Montparnasse, The Shops at Crystals

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Date Tuesday, February 3

Photos 1.

Deana Bickler and Courtney.Smith

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Adrianne.Burke, Dawn.Heaney, Deana.

Bickler and Shannon.D’Errico

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Jennifer Cornet, Jenn Kratochwill and Alma Sexton

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Jacob.Bundick and Shan.Bates

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Jessica.Sexton and Beverly.Jordan

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Steph.Lowre, Gabrielle.Robillard and

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Deana.Bickler 7.

Nicole Mastrangelo and Jennifer Cornet

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Jessica Sexton, Stephanie Marchand and Alma Sexton

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Phoebe.Cooper, April.Drummond and Alisson.Schweiss

Photos courtesy The Junior League

22 MARCH 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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JEWISH FEDERATION OF LAS VEGAS MAJOR GIFTS RECEPTION Venue Towbin Motorcars 3

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Date Thursday, February 12

Photos 1.

(left to right) Dr. Hugh Bassewitz, Jonathan Tuzman and Richard Frankoff

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(left to right) Elliot Karp, Jared Stone and David Stone

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Dr. HL Greenberg and Leonard Stone

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Mosab Hassan Yousef

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Stephen and Sharon Pierce

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(left to right) Cari Marshall, Marla Letizia and Karin Sporn

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(left to right) Haim Ventura, Cari Marshall, Sam Ventura, Fran Fine Ventura and Douglas Eisner

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(left to right) Shevy Shalev, Faye Steinberg and Rachel Ventura

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Edythe Goldberg & Henry Kronberg

10. (left to right) Debra Cohen, Nancy Weinberger and Joan Davis

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Photos by Theresa McNally with Tonya Harvey www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2015

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THE LAS VEGAS FASHION COUNCIL & THE MODERN ART MUSEUM OF LAS VEGAS PRESENT ARTLIVE! Venue The Smith Center

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Date Thursday, January 29

Photos 1.

(left to right) Melody Zita, Cori McFarland Julie Murray, Michele Madole, Christina Ellis, Emily Ellis, Carter Cooper, Niki Reid and Betsy Fulmer.

2.

Tony Hsieh and Krystle Anttonelli.

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(left to right) Jeff Manning, Heidi Metellus and Jerry Metellus.

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(left to right) Heather DiChiaro, Tamany Silvestri, Heather Caravella and Aprilyn Villafana.

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Julie Murray and Katie O’Neill.

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Scott Largent and Jerry Lambert.

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(left to right) Steve Hill, Debbie Hill, Puoy Premsrirut, Meghan Mossler and Fred Mossler.

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(left to right) Gary Ellis, Christina Ellis, Anamarie Ellis, Michaela Ellis and Cindy Ellis.

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(left to right) Madison Black, Landrey Fulmer, Betsy Fulmer, Lexie Fulmer and Alexandra Myers.

Photos by Ben Sahagun

24 MARCH 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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Summer Camp Confidential Courtesy Jewish Community Center

An Insider’s View

■ Hayley Cummings

R

emember those idyllic summer camp days? The ultimate freedom and bliss of those early childhood years? Once you got past the aching homesickness, a crammed agenda unfurled, replete with new friends, field trips, arts and crafts, “Marco Polo” in the pool, scary stories and pillow fights.

But by your teens, all of that was pretty much over. It was time for summer jobs, for travel, math camp, the opposite sex!

Unless, of course, you stuck around to become a camp counselor, which is exactly what I did.

Sure, things changed that Sweet 16 year. Beginning with me. It wasn’t all bad either. In fact, I’d spend the next five summers as a counselor in various camps across the Las

Vegas Valley, including the city of Las Vegas, the JCC’s Camp K’helah and the Springs Preserve. And along the way, I’d go from a high school student to a bona fide leader. I’d also identify my passion for working with children, and cultivate lifelong friendships.

You probably think you’ve got the camp counselor type pegged, based on all those summer blockbusters you’ve seen or The Hardy Boys novels you used to read. And just like those cases that Frank and Joe tried to unravel in the old childhood series, a camp counselor’s life is a bit of a mystery if you’re not on the inside.

OK, it can be pretty mundane at times. But that’s ultimately overshadowed by the friendships, the growth, the bonding, even the occasional romances that go with it. It’s truly a job like no other. After all, a counselor’s patience, creativity and

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social skills are put to the test daily. Before you know it, you’re formulating games out of thin air, and resolving con icts with a mediator’s skill.

Cultivating friends is key. Your fellow counselors form the backbone of the summer counseling experience. Without them, it’s boredom time. From overnight lock-ins to planning weekly activities, friendships provide a foundation for a rewarding summer experience, both for counselors and campers.

In my case, the power and breadth of friendships became clear during Camp K’helah’s infamous “Color War.” The weeklong event is the highlight of summer. With the camp split into evenly divided teams, each counselor hopes to lead his or her campers to a championship. Though tensions ran high as the bilateral competition heated up, counselors continued to cooperate with and help opposing teams.

As my co-captain and I struggled to write a team song for our beloved Yellow Team, the Blue Team captains rushed to our aid. Our sorry rendition of the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” was quickly transformed into a presentable ballad.

I’m sure it would earn the disdain of Ringo Starr, but the reworked ditty personified the spirit of cooperation the counselors maintained.

And once our charges were squared away, we spent time together off the clock. As a counselor for the city of Las Vegas, I spent almost every lunch break with my colleagues. We ran errands and laughed about the day’s events. As a Camp K’helah counselor, I was accepted into a group of people who’d known each other for years. The bond was instant. And we stayed friends (and in some cases classmates) into our college years, extending our relationships far beyond those halcyon summer days.

With each passing summer, I felt as though I’d grown as a person from my counseling experiences. The work had a way of putting life into perspective. A counselor can’t hold on to the self-centered ways of a teenager, not when she’s suddenly responsible for the lives and entertainment of an abundance of children. The focus must shift to the campers’ experience, to make it as rich and rewarding as possible.

Zoe Friedland, a former Camp K’Helah counselor, knows that first hand.

“Graduating high school and going back to those camps as an employee, instead of (as) a camper, was unbelievably exciting,” she says. “It wasn’t about the fact that I was making money — although I won’t lie: that was majorly exciting for the younger me. It was tangible proof that I was growing up, becoming a ‘responsible’ adult. I wasn’t a camper anymore; I was taking care of them. Many of my co-workers had been campers with me, and we all shared this exciting coming-ofage experience.”

Of course, we weren’t the only ones to “grow” during those summer sessions. As a Springs Preserve counselor, I had to remember that the children’s intellectual and social growth was paramount. And the truth is, I found some of the activities as exciting as the kids did. The Springs Preserve — all of it — was our campsite. Each day, our campers explored the preserve while learning from experts. A genuine effort was made to stimulate their minds. When we weren’t launching rockets, we were catching cicadas. The kids left each day knowing more than they did when they arrived. And we got extreme satisfaction from it.

Celebrating Jewish Camping in Las Vegas

Specialty Camps Core Camp Programming Registration at:

www.jccsn.org

JCC of Southern Nevada www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2014

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Courtesy Jewish Community Center

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

BROADWAY’S ORIGINAL SUMMER PROGRAM FOR THEATRE-LOVING KIDS

JUNE 15–19 CLASSIC CAMP | AGES 10–17

& JUNE 22–26 SHINING STARS CAMP | AGES 6–9

FOR MORE INFORMATION visit TheSmithCenter.com or call 702.749.2538

Gershon Levy was one of our Camp K’helah stalwarts.

“To me, the best part about being a camp counselor,” she recalls, “was seeing how much my campers would mature over those two months, and knowing that I had played some role in facilitating that growth.

“Camp to many people is just a place to take the kids when school is out. But there’s so much more going on behind the scenes. While the school year is focused on mental growth, summer is where social growth happens, since we are constantly doing team activities, sports and games. I loved seeing how much more confident my campers would become as they got more comfortable with each other throughout the summer.”

Inevitably, the counselors and the campers formed tight bonds, just from being around each other so much. And we weren’t that much older than the kids. Ultimately, the campers understood that we were the key to making it an enjoyable summer experience for them, and that we were happy doing it.

The interaction was unscripted, and sometimes it took me out of my own comfort zone.

At Camp K’helah, for instance, my co-counselor and I danced and sang on stage to “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” for the weekly talent show. Being a certified klut , the idea of a gavotte on stage was terrifying, if mission-critical. My counselor colleagues adopted the same “I got this” approach as I did.

At the Springs Preserve, each day ended with a “share circle,” as campers and counselors re ected on their favorite parts of the day. It brought all of us closer and established relationships that helped ensure the future success of camp activities.

Things were similar at the city of Las Vegas camp, as Emily 28 MARCH 2014 | www.davidlv.com

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Courtesy Jewish Community Center

Casey remembers. “As a counselor for the city of Las Vegas, we interacted with the kids a tremendous amount. We had to participate in the games to make them work, which led to the campers having so much fun with us,” she says. “We had great relationships with the kids. Some of the bonds formed were even able to extend beyond the summer. “ uring my first summer as a camp counselor for the city of Las Vegas, I met the little girl I would nanny for five years.

From my senior year of high school to my senior year of college, I spent almost every afternoon with this amazing young girl, and I continue to be in touch with her and her family.

This is the power of the summer camp experience. While the time is short, the bonds extend past the season. I still remember many of my counselors vividly, and I am certain that many of my campers remember me.”

Many counselors remember each other, too. They’d arrived for the start of camp with the hope of possibly enjoying a romantic summer interlude. Younger counselors were particularly prone to the allure of a summer love, fantasizing about walking barefoot with a companion on a warm evening, or taking a late-night car ride and feeling the balmy air.

At the city of Las Vegas and Camp K’helah, many counselors had split into couples by summer’s end. They maintained their professionalism by day, but were red-blooded teens by night.

As with most summer romances, these, too, faded as autumn approached and the camp season ended.

These days, many parents think of sending their children away for the summer. But I’m certain there are rewarding experiences available right here in the Las Vegas Valley, with suitable counselors waiting to give their all to help another group of kids form lifelong memories.

I’ve still got my share, and the skills I took from those years as a counselor helped prepare me to be a middle school science teacher for at-risk students.

My last day as a camp counselor was on a July 4th, which just happens to be my birthday. I’d spent a day with my charges exploring the Springs Preserve. It was snack time and those around me asked me to close my eyes. When I opened them, I found a box of red, white and blue cupcakes and a stack of lovingly made cards, filled with kind salutations. ven now, I remember the many hugs and “Happy birthday!” sentiments of that day. That warm memory perfectly encapsulates my counselor experiences, something I’ll always treasure.

www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2014

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The Educational Value of Summer Camps ■ Dr. Sharon Knafo

Courtesy Springs Preserve

S

ince 2002, when the federal No Child Left Behind act was signed into law, the states have been required to test every child in public school, each year, in grades 3 through 8, in math and reading. Slowly, districts have added many tests to follow state-mandated guidlines, to make sure their schools are in good standing with NCLB requirements. This was one of the instigators for reduced fine arts instructional time, as well as reduced foreign languag es and other non-core subjects. The new common core standards represent an evolvement of the need to set common standards in core subjects. Language arts and mathematic proficiencies have continued to be measured in schools and in higher education. Daniel Pink, in his book A Whole New Mind (2006), called this phenomenon the SATocracy, a regime in which access to a good life depends on the ability to reason logically, sequentially and speedily. According to Pink, in contrast to the left-brain education that high-stakes testing drives, the 21st century economy appears more and more dependent on right-brain creativity. In an era where people must perform work that overseas workers can’t do cheaper, and computers can’t do faster, unique productivity is measured with aesthetic, emotional and spiritual distinction. According to Forbes magazine, the 10 bestselling products of all time are Rubik’s Cube, iPhone, Harry Potter, the Mario video game franchise, iPad, Star Wars movies,

Michael Jackson albums, Toyota Corolla, Lipitor and PlayStation. All had much to do with sensing the “needs” of humanity and involved brilliant ideas, unique designs, excellent manufacturing and genius marketing. The left brain was instrumental in making it happen in all cases, but the right brain was the initiator, the designer, the visionary, the leader in making these great inventions. his is exactly how summer camps in uence our children’s education. For almost 10 months schools focus on traditional

SHENKER SUMMER CAMP 2015

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Courtesy Springs Preserve

logical skills. But here comes the summer, and traditional schooling exits the stage for sports, arts, drama, physical challenge, social challenge, leadership, speaking, singing, wild life, robotics and more. There are camps for subjects you’ve never heard of: Israeli Special Forces camp in Israel; ninja camp in Japan; The Lord of the Rings Camp in England; safari camp in South Africa; European programs with a mix of academics, arts, sports and travel; DJ camps; shark studies camp in Fiji; plantation farm camp in California; the list is endless.

The physical, emotional, social, cognitive, creative and unique experience of each summer camp is a necessary addition to our children’s development. Peter Scales, a senior fellow with the Search Institute in Minneapolis, is a noted educator and author. “Camp is one of the few institutions where young people can experience and satisfy their need for physical activity, creative expression and true participation in a community environment,” he says. “Most schools don’t satisfy all these needs.”

Summer camp enrollment season provides a great opportunity to explore the nourishing aspects of our children’s education, and to make a leap toward fostering well-rounded, 21st century individuals. The Las Vegas community, with close proximity to the West Coast, has many exciting summer camps to offer. I wish you a great and successful journey in selecting the right right-minded camp for your child.

The writer is an educator, a parent of two and has been a school principal in Memphis and in Houston, and now in Las Vegas. His children attended Camp JCC in Memphis and Camp Young Judea in Wimberley, Texas.

Register for Camp Invention using promo code SPRING by May 12 to save $15.

Sign up now at campinvention.org or call 800.968.4332.

Camp Invention builds confidence in children entering grades 1-6!

Local educators will be leading the week of hands-on fun

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www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2014

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“

“

Rabbi Daniel Rubenstein was the consummate professional. He did a fantastic job, he patiently answered all our questions, and followed up after the bris. We were most impressed, and highly recommend his milah services.

- Mr. and Mrs. Josh Levine

Mazel kzn !cuy Tov! Rabbi Daniel Rubenstein EXPERT MOHEL

THE TEN MINUTE BANDAGE Rabbi Rubenstein has developed a method of applying a bandage to a circumcised baby that allows for its removal after just 10 minutes. Typically, a circumcised baby is left with a tight bandage for 12 hours to several days. This can cause added pain and a higher risk of infection.

The Rabbi uses a special bandage, applied in such a manner as to stop the bleeding in no longer than ten minutes. This technique is infinitely more comfortable for the baby, blood and oxygen restriction to the site of the wound is enhanced thereby allowing faster and nicer healing.

His procedure removes the added risk of infection caused by the extended wearing of bandages.

Rabbi Rubenstein is currently training Mohelim all over the world in the use of his new technique. The 10 minute bandage has been successfully used on over 1,000 babies.

Certified by the London School of Circumcision, Rabbi Daniel Rubenstein is an experienced, gentle Mohel available to perform the Bris Milah/ Brit Milah ceremony throughout the Greater Las Vegas area for Jewish families of any background.

702-843-0543

rabbi@vegasmohel.com | www.vegasmohel.com Mohel Ad.indd 1 26_32_Camp_Special_Section.indd 32

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A Conversation

With Anita Diamant Women’s Weekend to Feature Award Winning Feminist Writer

By Lynn Wexler

T

hough modest and unassuming, Anita Diamant is the quintessential, Jewish woman’s woman. Her debut novel The Red Tent is a modern classic based on the biblical narrative of Dinah. Published in 1997, it sold more than 3.3 million copies worldwide, and A&E/Lifetime produced it as a miniseries.

On March 22, Jewish women throughout Las Vegas will have an opportunity to join A CONVERSATION WITH ANITA DIAMANT, part of a daylong spirituality event sponsored by the Jewish Community Center of Southern Nevada, with support from the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas.

Nancy Weinberg and Norma Schwartz Zuckerman, co-chairs of Seek, Nourish, Ignite … A Women’s Retreat to Satiate our Souls, promise that guests will experience and enjoy an intimate encounter with the New York Times best-selling author, self-proclaimed feminist and founding president of Mayyim Hayyim: Living Waters Community Mikveh and Education Center in Newton, Mass.

They also say the stage at Three Square will provide a comfortable setting for Diamant to chat with her audience about life and

her newest book The Boston Girl. The day also will include breakout sessions on relevant women’s topics. A performance at Temple Beth Sholom of The Mikveh Monologues, presented by Zuckerman and the Jewish Repertory Theatre of Nevada will be staged on the prior Saturday night, March 21 at 8 p.m.

Diamant, 63, spent her early years in Newark, N.J., but moved to Denver at age 12. As a young woman at Washington University in St. Louis, she majored in comparative literature.

She took her master’s degree in English from the State University of New York at Binghamton. As a wife and mother, she became an award-winning journalist with articles and columns for The Boston Globe and Parenting magazine. Those personal musings provided both insightful observations about life and source material for her novels.

Before her marriage 30 years ago, Diamant experienced a renewed interest in all things Jewish during her fiance’s conversion to Judaism.

Ultimately, she wrote six nonfiction guides about contemporary Jewish practice: Living a Jewish Life; The New Jewish Baby Book; Choosing a Jewish Life: A Handbook for People Converting to Juda-

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ism; Saying Kaddish: How to Mourn as a Jew; How to Be a Jewish Parent: A Practical Handbook for Family Life; and the New Jewish Wedding-Revised and Updated.

After The Red Tent, she wrote Good Harbor, Pitching My Tent, The Last Days of Dogtown, Day After Night and The Boston Girl. She and her husband Jim have one daughter and live in Newton. Recently, she commented on her life, her craft and her readers.

DAVID: What do you enjoy most about your work and the success you’ve achieved?

DIAMANT: I don’t invent anything in my writings. I describe what I learn and experience along the journey. I enjoy opening doors so people can step through them to get the information they need in order to make better choices in their lives. I also enjoy signing books at independent bookstores. I love indies! I would do almost anything for them. They love readers and writers and celebrate both whenever possible. We can all buy books online and from megastores. But it’s a thrill to browse and schmooze with big-hearted and well-read booksellers and book buyers.

DAVID: Where do your story and character ideas originate?

DIAMANT: The ideas come to me in different ways. For instance, I picked up a booklet in a Gloucester bookstore and discovered the history of the oldest settlement on Cape Ann and The Last Days of Dogtown was born. On my first trip to Israel, I visited a living history museum called Atlit, where Jewish survivors of the Holocaust were interned by British authorities following the end of World War II. That became the source of Day After Night.

The working title for The Boston Girl was Rockport Lodge, near to where I vacationed in Massachusetts. I must have driven past the lodge hundreds of times and always wondered about the dilapidated, three-story, white clapboard farmhouse. I learned that it was founded in 1906 to provide inexpensive, chaperoned accommodations for city girls of modest means. It fell into disrepair in the 1990s, to the point of near collapse. To me it was like an old steamer trunk full of secrets. I tracked down 47 boxes filled with letters, brochures, newspaper clippings and yellowed scrapbooks — with jokes, pledges of undying friendship and photos of girls lined up in ankle-length skirts; girls lounging on Good Harbor Beach in daring 1920s swimsuits; girls wearing boxy shorts and bobby socks. The clothes were a fashion timeline and told a story about profound changes in American women’s lives.

DAVID: Your stories seem to share the theme of resilience, right?

DIAMANT: I have great compassion for my characters. I choose them because I am fascinated by their history, their struggle, their story, and the often-difficult choices they make to get beyond complex pasts, even tragedies … into futures where there is hope. I tend

to stay away from sentimental nostalgia for the good old days. In The Boston Girl, I follow the story of an intelligent but burdened immigrant woman, who does more than merely survive the 20th century. She embraces it all — tragedies, joys and the humdrum — with unflagging passion. One of my pet peeves is negativity and complaining. I’m drawn to developing characters who strive to make things better.

DAVID: What if you could be anything or anyone?

DIAMANT: I would be a lake. Water is spiritually cleansing.

DAVID: Did that inspire you to help build the community mikveh waters in Newton?

DIAMANT: In a way, yes. Water is where everything begins, from our single-celled ancestors to our great-great-grandkids. In the book of Genesis, water is in the opening scene; God hovers over it, inspired by the ocean view to make something new. Me too. My days do not begin well without stepping into the waterfall of my shower or my walk beside the flowing Charles River. Mikveh is the essential ritual of beginning. Immersion into the ritual mikveh waters marks the start of married life, life as a choosing Jew, or as a renewed return to sex after a menstrual pause. New rabbis, doctors, college graduates sometimes begin their careers with a mindful walk down seven steps into the water. Cancer survivors and recovering addicts can make a fresh start in the mikveh.

I get me to the mikveh to get naked, exhale and sink; to empty my head and sidestep my ego. Mayyim Hayyim is a 21st century creation, rooted in ancient tradition, yet reinvented to serve the Jewish community of today on its own terms. It makes mikveh accessible to the full diversity of our people for the first time in Jewish history.

DAVID: What makes you proudest?

DIAMANT: Without a doubt, my relationship with my daughter.

DAVID: What drives you as an outspoken feminist and confirmed liberal?

DIAMANT: You can’t be Jewish and not be a feminist. As Jews we are charged with repairing the world. Well, women are human beings, and it’s the Jewish way to stand up for the oppressed. Feminism has doubled the capacity of women and the Jewish people.

Previously suppressed voices are now being heard. Women’s voices are now part of all aspects of the conversation, from social justice to holiness, to shalom, etc. The transformation is still in process, but we’ve come a long way.

DAVID: What’s your favorite quote?

DIAMANT: Well, I don’t know if it’s a favorite, but I think the quote by John Lubbock in The Use Of Life is a good one to live by …

“A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of work.”

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Seasoned Travellers The JNF’s Sunshine Mission to Israel with Hal Linden

By Chris Sieroty

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H

al Linden is best known as the star of the ’70s situation comedy Barney Miller, in which he played the long-suffering police captain of the 12th Precinct in Greenwich Village. But the seven-time Emmy winner has starred in dozens of other TV shows and movies, too, with a recent appearance in Two Broke Girls.

Still, Linden’s always been a musician by trade. Years ago he decided that urging audiences to “Swing and Sway with Harold Lipshitz,” his real name, wouldn’t necessarily resonate. So “Hal” borrowed the name “Linden” from a New Jersey water tower he drove by. He held on to his love for Big Band music, though, and still plays the clarinet and tours with a large ensemble.

But how did he become a celebrity spokesman for the Jewish National Fund almost 18 years ago?

“My father was an ardent Zionist,” the actor/musician said recently from San Diego, where he’s appearing in the “Twentyseventh Man” at The Old Globe theater. “He was co-founder of a Zionist support group, called Beni Zion.”

Linden, who turns 84 on March 20, said as a child in the 1930s it was all about assimilation, and that led to friendships with local kids of other nationalities and religions. “I was doing fine in America,” he recalls. “I had plenty of friends.”

But with World War II, and all the news of the concentration camps and how the British had treated Jews in the Middle East and Cyprus, he changed his mind about the need for a Jewish state.

“That was a very informative time for me,” he says. I was inspired by my father (Charles Lipshitz), and thought it was a good time to get more involved.” More than 50 years later, when he was asked to be the JNF spokesman, Linden simply said yes.

“I went to Israel and never looked back,” he says. “I’ve been on about six or seven of these trips. I go with a specific tour each time, people 55 years old and older. That seems to be my constituency.”

Each JNF trip is different, of course, Linden says. Ordinarily,

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Dancing on a boat on the Sea of Galilee. Can you find Hal Linden’s photo bomb?

he says, some members of the group have never been to Israel and others have been several times. Last year, he says, some of the firsttimers were in their 80s and 90s.

“I want to share my experiences in Israel, and make their journey more vivid,” he says. “This last trip we spent time in the Golan Heights, which was a first for me.”

He acknowledges that it was during a trip to a reservoir on

the Jordan border when he inherited his father’s passion for the Jewish state.

“Each trip is a reinvestment of time, of memories and of passion,” he says. “There is still a need.”

He said he’s looking forward to his next trip to Israel. According to the JNF, the excursion is set for May 27-June 4.

Linden said each trip is special because no one is pushing you on and off a tour bus. He describes the JNF’s Sunshine Mission as a chance to experience the history of Israel – from the war for independence to today’s modern country. It’s the personal stories of war and everyday lives, he says, that makes the trip so special.

Jason Halpern agrees and says “Hal Linden brought a lovely humanity to the experience. He would tell stories about prior trips, and tell us stories about arts and touring. It was a complete bonus being on the trip with him.”

But what made the last trip so memorable for Linden was celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife, their children and grandchildren.

“What was so special for me was sharing my religious home with my children and grandchildren,” Linden says. “My wife wasn’t raised Jewish … the trip was very special for all of us.” It enabled his family to “know my passion” for Israel and “why I was involved with JNF.” Israel “has to exist from the standpoint of a home for the Jewish people,” he says, adding that his JNF work is his “part of making that happen.”

Each Sunshine Mission includes visits to the Old City of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the Golan Heights, the port city of Haifa and to the Negev desert.

Adam Brill, director of communications with JNF in New York,

Experience Israel’s magic with Hal Linden.

JNF’S SUNSHINE MISSION May 27 - June 4, 2015 FOR ACTIVE ADULTS 55+.

Additional Trip Options Available

jnf.org/travel • 877.563.8687 38 MARCH 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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said no Las Vegans have made the trip, but he hopes that changes.

Besides touring historic sites, the visitors are briefed by top Israeli newsmakers and opinion leaders.

“To hear about what the JNF does, and then to have them show you the work they’ve done with nature and building communities in the north and in the Negev desert is amazing,” says Jason Halpern, a Westchester County, N.Y., resident. “They’ve done amazing work there.”

It may seem mundane to us, he adds, but Jerusalem needed a fire station, so JNF helped pay for one and a couple of new trucks.

“People don’t think about that, but these trucks are a quarter of a million dollars apiece,” he says. “We also planted trees and got to see how other trees had become this incredible forest.”

Halpern, who’s in his early 40s, acknowledges that recounting his tour may sound like an infomercial, but the trip gave him a chance to experience Israel with his dad.

“It was my fourth trip to Israel, but my father (Andrew) had never been to Israel,” the younger man says. “Think about that. He had never been to Israel before. But with the help of a tour guide we got to see Israel together.” They still argue, he says with a laugh, over “who snores more at night.”

Halpern says the latest trip was like no other. He says hearing stories about the Six-Day War in 1967 and the 1973 Yom Kippur War was a moving experience. He says he and father took in the Golan Heights, saw Israeli tanks and went to the Valley of Death.

JNF’s Wall of Honor, at Ammunition Hill, is a tribute to Israeli soldiers who have fought in the country’s wars. The high ground was the site of a pivotal battle during the Six-Day War that led to the reunification of Jerusalem.

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Ammunition Hill hosts induction ceremonies for paratroopers and the annual Jerusalem Day celebration.

The Sunshine Mission trip “brought history to life for us,” Halpern says.

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Anthony Mair

taste

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Off-Strip & Hip Cool Dining in the Burbs

By E.C. Gladstone

F

inally, Suburban Dining For The Cool Crowd.

We’ve all heard the word that the dining scene off-Strip has gotten a lot stronger and more interesting in the past year or so. And in recent months, new places with exciting concepts have been opening up in all parts of the valley, from Boulder City and Henderson to Summerlin, Centennial and other points north.

But perhaps the most surprising element of all is the emergence of restaurants aimed almost specifically for the young, hip crowd — the 20-somethings typically far more willing to go to the Strip and overpay for a cool scene spot than the rest of us locals. Now, they can take their pick of fun places that just skirt the edge of clubby cool, without having to hit the big resorts, and the rest of us can enjoy a bit of that energy without needing to max out the credit cards.

Of this new breed, Hearthstone is likely the one you’ve heard about: the Light Group, one of the originators of “nightlife dining” in Las Vegas, has done a great job of getting the word out on its first off-Strip venture, at Summerlin’s Red Rock resort. A large scale design with many different focal points, from the charcuterie and pizza bar to the glassed-in “private” dining room, to the social shuffle board and fire pit-filled patio,

Hearthstone definitely wants to offer many experiences to many people.

Executive chef Brian Massie’s menus are much the same: You can tailor your experience to your mood, from light bites on the “snacks” menu (truffled popcorn, baked ricotta, roasted artichokes, foie gras mousse with peanuts and jelly), pizzas cooked over pecan and oak wood, or more serious entrees like poached Alaskan salmon and Wagyu short rib. The Calabrian shrimp chitara is one of the best pasta dishes I’ve enjoyed in recent memory.

Weekend brunch, however, is a bit overreaching in its attempts at originality. But I will tell you this: The duck and waffles works far better than its inspiration (the LA Chicken and Waffles that we’re now seeing everywhere), a fantastic complementary partnering of rich tender confit meat and earthy whole wheat & rye waffles with bourbon maple syrup that does everything you want brunch to do for you. While many of the other dishes have pricing that feels like a Strip restaurant, $21 for this feels like a value.

You’ll find the people-watching on a good night as rewarding as the food here, and if you want more of a sure thing, check out their complimentary wine tastings on Thursdays and Tiffany Masters’ mixers on Fridays.

Left: Hearthstone’s Duck And Waffles (crispy duck confit with whole wheat & rye waffles and maple bourbon syrup).

Above: Hearthstone’s FG&J (foie gras mousse, Virginia peanuts and house made jelly) www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2015

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Across town on the edge of Henderson, Lucky Foo’s also has a group of nightlife vets behind it, and aims to serve a few different tastes at once, even dividing sections of the restaurant space accordingly: You’ll find a fairly traditional sushi bar, a contemporary bar with creative cocktails, one room dominated by a hip Manga mural and others lit by more sedate walls of candles.

The menu here is an unapologetic mishmash of Asian inspirations, from clever sushi rolls (mariachi roll, lasagna roll, fennel roll … ), yakitori tacos, creative bao and uncommon ramen dishes (like a soupless four-cheese mazemen) to straightforward robata skewers, an elegant Hamachi crudo and satisfying Thai beef salad. Then there are fun twists like Foo dogs – Kurobuta pork sausage fried in a potato wrapper –and the chocolate snow ball (you know, like the Hostess classic?) for dessert. And silly as it might seem, the one dish I’ve craved since dining here was the gingery, umami-hearty chicken fried rice with kimchee and a poached egg.

This kind of formula would likely be embarrassing in most chefs’ hands, but chef partner Shawn Giordano, a Wolfgang Puck vet (Spago BH, Lupo) who also opened The Park in New York City, knows how to balance familiarity and creativity.

In short, it’s a people-pleasing place that even foodies can abide — and with prices that are definitely local-friendly, with most dishes hovering between $10-15. On Friday and Saturday nights, co-owner Michael Fuller pulls from his black book to create impromptu-themed supper club nights, and on Sundays they’ve been hosting Walking Dead view parties.

Waking up The District nearby in Green Valley are a pair of concepts, Whist Stove and Spirits and Due & Proper. They’re the farthest-flung places by the same team behind Commonwealth, Park on Fremont and BLVD Cocktail Co. they also happen to be Wendoh Media, parents of Vegas Seven magazine. Image is important in both these spots, though not in a velvet-rope kind of way. The restaurant 42 MARCH 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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has an artsy, wine cellar flair with conversation-starting art, and the bar side, dark and urban. Both could easily be found in an average European city — and that is a compliment.

The food’s identity seems to be more of a work in progress … but that doesn’t mean you can’t create a satisfying, sexy night out here.

Seafood preparations range from a mini-clambake hot pot (Alaskan crab, shrimp, clams, mussels, potatoes in Old Bay seasoning) to a shamelessly rib-sticking lobster fettuccine emerging from a pool of creamy bisque. Much of the menu is similarly heavy – surprising for a spot catering to the young and image-conscious. The lighter dishes, like the smartly balanced spinach and kale salad or coconut-roasted

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cauliflower, are actually the most satisfying, in my opinion. An ice cream cone flight for dessert makes any night a fun celebration. And the $30 strip steak is the most expensive thing here, by far.

If all the above focus on vibe at least as much as menu, a new Downtown Summerlin spot is aiming for roughly the same audience with a different tact. M.T.O. stands for Made To Order — shorthand for “your food is fresh.” And while the first M.T.O. across from City Hall downtown focuses on creative-comfort breakfast and lunch, the Summerlin sister, restyled in a “fast casual” vein (order at the counter, table delivery) stays open later, adding both coffee bar pastries and an impressive late night menu to the mix.

Under John Church, a chef whose last Strip assignment was running the edgy Rx Boiler Room (after cooking at Aureole, Andre’s and Eiffel Tower), dinner offers entrees of the quality you’d expect to pay many dollars more for. Standouts for me include the curried spaghetti squash with carrots and raisins and the chicken ‘n’ biscuits “pot pie” (which has divided local foodies into either lovers or haters), as well as worthy vegetarian sides, including shaved Brussels sprouts slaw and quinoa-edamame succotash.

The $12 mezze plate here, with edamame hummus, faro taboule, tzatziki and warm pita is just a perfect little nosh for kibitzing — tired shoppers delight.

Keep an eye out for M.T.O.’s semi-regular pop-up dinners, featuring collaborations between local and visiting chefs at an incredible price.

They are not only consistently impressive meals, but also great opportunities to rub elbows with fun, food-loving folk.

The new gen has no problem blurring lines between fast food, fine dining and nightlife. And with these kind of options now available around the valley, neither should you.

Top: MTO’s Meze Platter (baba ghanoush, farro tabbouleh, edamame, chick pea hummus, cucumbers and flatbread) Bottom: MTO’s Chicken Pot Pie (chicken, baby carrots, onions, celery, leeks, stock and a buttermilk biscuit crust)

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THE PARTY GOES ON pg. 54

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A New World of Adventure Awaits Globe Trekkers. Go Digital, Download an App and Take Charge of Your Own Experience.

By Jaq Greenspon

S

o I’m in Pisa and there’s the famous tower, leaning ever so significantly, and I snap a picture of it. With my phone.

And then I run it through an app with a couple of photo filters and put a snappy caption on it, complete with a hashtag (#).

And with a simple click of a virtual button, I share it with all of my friends, all over the world, all at the same time.

Because I like to travel, this is an easy way for everyone to keep up with where I am and what I’m doing. A couple months back, for example, I was traveling through northern Italy for a little holiday.

About halfway through my week away, something interesting happened, causing me to pause and think a bit.

See, everywhere my companion and I would go we’d take vacation snapshots … as you do. But things are so much different now. At home I have boxes of 3x5 prints from road trips all over the U.S. And my folks have stacks of Kodak carousels filled with slides from their own adventures, a cumbersome system we used to haul out from time to time when I was younger.

When we had slides (or, heaven forbid, super8 film), we had to set up a screen and a projector to show the sights and sounds from whence we’d recently returned. With prints in little booklets, it was even easier. Just pull something off the shelf, and everyone gathers around the sofa, tea in hand, and stories are shared as we ooh and aah.

And yet … this wasn’t even the intriguing thing about my more recent experience. We’ve all become so used to sharing, I did it without even thinking. Not only did I share the Pisa picture, but I also used an app to “check-in” at the tower, and then at various places in Florence and elsewhere. In Venice, I got a message from a Facebook friend. She commented on another person’s page, who was also in The Floating City that day, and suggested we rendezvous.

So a friend 8,000 miles away connected two other friends who live in different cities but happened to be in the same place at the same time, both far from home themselves (and these homes far from where the mutual friend lived). What else could we do? We met at the foot of the Rialto Bridge. I used a map app to get us there the quickest way possible, and we easily found our new friends, having seen their pictures beforehand. We decided to go for a coffee, and it was suggested we use another app to find a place nearby with good

reviews. (Should we just have risked it and walked randomly into a place as in the old days, with no prior notice or preconceived ideas?)

All of this led me to really take a look, metaphorically speaking, at the technology I was packing in my pocket. I found it absolutely amazing that I could both connect with the world and use the subsequent links to make my travel easier.

The problem, naturally, is as soon as an app (a piece of software for a mobile device, presumably an iPhone or Android) appears on the market, a hundred more show up doing about the same thing.

So you ask yourself several questions: How do I decide which one to download? How do I figure out which one is worth the cost, even if it’s free (think of the memory and battery usage it consumes)? Is there a reason to use an app over a desktop web portal? And, hey, whatever happened to travel agents?

This is the hard part, honestly. The Internet is full of “top 10” and “best of” lists. But, as with the People’s Choice Awards, results can vary wildly even for the same category. In the end, you need to choose the apps right for you … and right when you’re using them.

What I discovered, instead of merely a list of apps to tell you about (don’t worry, I do have my recommendations), I’m going to present a way to cut through the noise and find methods to make your choices perfect for your own travel needs.

So, what exactly do we mean when we say “Travel App” and how will we use it? A travel app can be anything used when you’re away from home. It can also be a way to plan, navigate, decide, communicate and share what you’re doing while away from home.

For me, the purpose of an app, beyond the absolutely practical, is to use the hive mind. As Mike Reichartz, co-founder of Roomlia, the hotel room locator, says: “Institutional local knowledge is now at a point where it can be exported.” Instead of asking just one person who might have traveled where you’re going, you can get feedback from thousands of people. It’s like getting the local take on things, which is nice. It gets you out of the guidebook and into the experience.

Now… how are you getting where you’re going?

If you’re flying, you can use an aggregator, which scours prices from a variety of sources. It will also tie you in to connections and different airlines. All of the big names are represented by mobile www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2015

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apps, including Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity. Newer apps, like Hipmunk, are also claiming a chunk of the marketplace. Find the interface you like best. Prices are going to be relatively close. The benefit is if you’re using the same sites to book your hotel and a flight, they’ll often have tie-in deals. Still, I prefer individual booking sites. Tie-ins obviously don’t give you a full range of options. I prefer apps like Reichartz’s Roomlia, which looks only at your hotel booking experience. Its developers would rather you have an easy time finding the right hotel at the right price rather than overwhelming you with options about every facet of your trip.

Even better are the individual airline apps. Most majors allow you to check in right from the app. Domestically, you can also check for gate assignments and delays, or add extra baggage and check your frequent flyer miles.

You also have sites like Tripit. As you book your travel, forward all the confirmation emails to Tripit and it compiles them in a single space. At the touch of a button on your phone or tablet, you’ll know when your flight is, where to pick up the rental car and what the hotel booking number is (as well as check out time). Tripit also offers pro and team services, meaning if you’re a regular traveler for business or pleasure they’ve got you covered.

Apps like Flighttrack use color coding to make it easy to determine if your flight is delayed or canceled. They also have a real time tracker if you’re waiting on a friend or family member.

And if you get stuck in an airport unexpectedly (or just have a long layover), you need Gate Guru. It’ll show amenities such as restaurants and shops and other services. I’d love for it to also show where I can charge my phone while waiting for my plane.

As great as these apps app, especially the convenience of having

them in your pocket, booking websites have been around since the dawn of the Internet. For me, it’s all about crowdsourcing, accessing the opinions of those who’ve been here before me.

Take TripAdvisor and Yelp. Both are great for getting the lowdown on what locals and visitors think of places and adventures.

Not only will you get recommendations on what coffee shop is good, but also reviews of tourist sites and tours themselves. You’ll be able to find out if it’s worth signing up for a free walking tour (this was answered in Amsterdam), or how to get a discount on a local attraction (cheaper gondola rides in Venice), or whether you should order the apple pie or chocolate cake (I was in Los Angeles a few years ago when this one was solved).

But if you decide to just have a bit of a wander, there are apps for that, too. Maps With Me offers an offline mapping service.

Once you download the country (or state/region for larger areas), you’re good to go. The map picks up on your location without an active connection and will orient itself to the direction your phone is facing. If you’re driving, there are also downloadable maps, complete with driving routes. It also locates points of interest, landmarks, restaurants, hotels and parks. The detail is impressive, and anywhere you’re likely to go is covered. But without the turnby-turn directions you get on Internet-tethered apps (Google, Apple Maps), it’s like having an old-fashioned AAA map in your pocket.

Keeping in touch with the folks back home is also relatively easy, thanks to a spate of apps designed for international communication. Sure, Facebook Messenger is a good way to keep up with people with an account. But WhatsApp and Viber, both designed for international texting, use your phone number as an identifier as long as you’ve got an Internet connection. Both have

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a fun feature that allows you to send voice messages across the miles without incurring any roaming or extra data charges. Viber is more popular in the U.S., while WhatsApp controls the market in the rest of the world. Viber also inundates you with numerous “sticker” options to beautify your messages. But at $1.99 a set, they’re not really worth the cost.

To share your adventures with just about everyone, Instagram’s still the biggest game in town. It allows you to easily manipulate photos and then post them for your friends. If you hashtag your posts with locations, as most people do, they’re easily searchable by anyone looking for images of the area. You can also search for images of where you are via hashtags.

Then there’s the locally sourced tourist guides. You post pictures of where you are, with stories or tips that anyone in the neighborhood can see. Localeur is the more limited (with only a dozen or so U.S. cities covered), but it’s also more in-depth than Trover, with information curated by a paid staff. Trover allows anyone to post — you have to be a little more cautious in using the information — and sharing is incredibly easy.

What if you only want to share with a few people? Or Bubby doesn’t use a computer and would just love a postcard to stick on the fridge? She’s covered, too. Postagram lets you take a picture with your phone, do what you want to it with any of the hundreds of photo manipulation apps out there (including Instagram) and then send it as a printed postcard for as little as 99 cents. Even better, the picture can be removed from the card just in case she wants to put it into a frame (and, coming full circle now) put it into an album so neighbors can check out where the grandkids were on their latest trip.

Here’s a tip for your next trip When starting to plan a vacation (or even if you already know your destination), you’ll likely begin by looking up salient bits of information through whatever search engine you prefer.

Before you do that, consider setting your browser to “private.”

There are a number of reasons for this. Most involve invisible trackers known as “cookies.” Websites leave them on our computers to keep our information on file. This lets us automatically log in, or remembers our preferences or what we’ve already looked at. But what it does in terms of travel can be insidious.

If you look up flights to a particular destination, no matter what website you’re accessing, the computer takes note. The next time you browse, you may discover higher prices for those same flights. The provider now knows you’re interested and can “adjust” your pricing accordingly.

Also, as soon as you start looking up information about your destination, including tourist attractions or bus schedules, floating ads (which are becoming ubiquitous) may start to stalk you. By going “private,” or “incognito,” or whatever your browser calls it, you can prevent some of this.

Another tool in your kit is to look at the ratings and read the comments. Unless they’re overwhelmingly in the majority, skip the 1- and 5-star ratings and consult the average reviews. Read what people actually write. Most of the time, Reichartz says, “there’s truth in numbers.” www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2015

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The Power of the Dress Diane von Furstenberg Empowers Women with Her Classic Dresses from the Spring 2015 Collection

By Marisa Finetti

S

he entered the fashion world in 1972 with a suitcase full of jersey dresses. Two years later, Belgium-born Diane von Furstenberg created the wrap dress, which became the symbol of power and independence for an entire generation of women. She sold over a million of those dresses and was featured on the cover of Newsweek by the mid-1970s.

After a hiatus from fashion, von Furstenberg relaunched the iconic dress that started it all in 1997, re-establishing her company as the global luxury lifestyle brand it is today. DVF is now sold in more than 55 countries. Her Las Vegas boutiques, housing the wrap dresses she’s known for, are inside the Grand Canal Shoppes, and at the Forum Shops at Caesars.

Besides the wrap, DVF hallmarks include graphic floral prints, cinch-waist skirt suits, and ‘40s glamour by way of ‘70s hippie chick.

Her empire includes sportswear, beauty, fragrance and home wear lines, and her mark in the fashion world inspired, and continues to inspire, many.

Close friend Oscar de la Renta, with whom von Furstenberg shared weekly Saturday night suppers until his death last October, described her this way: “Her energy is boundless, and she is pas-

sionate about life and about her children and her friends … she’s a person of great depth.” Her zest for life easily spills over to her passion for luxury and fashion. This spring, the “dress” continues to be celebrated.

From Brigitte Bardot to Daria Werbowy, the Spring 2015 Collection evokes a modern woman at the height of on-the-go glamour.

DVF pays tribute to the Côte d’Azur of the 1950s – a time when Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse were friends and rivals. It was a time when the young von Furstenberg was igniting the beaches of the French Riviera in perfect sandals and leg-baring shift dresses.

For the spring collection, Von Furstenberg had in mind Bardot in the pretty gingham dresses and of prints inspired by the cutouts of Matisse. The collection is as lighthearted and carefree as a perfect summer beach holiday. Black-and-white gingham is printed on silk jersey and chiffon. The prints abstracted from classic toile de jouy and Indienne patterns – but reworked in pinks, corals, blue and bright grass greens – evoke the textile assemblages of Matisse.

Flirtatious, yet always sophisticated, DVF is about that knowing wink, the carefree laughter, and the attitude of setting sights on the next adventure.

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The Riviera wrap dress is an updated wrap style featuring a chiffon skirt and asymmetrical hem. It pairs perfectly with heels for a playful after dark look. $478. DVF, The Grand Canal Shoppes, 3327 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas. 702-818-2294

Transition seamlessly into spring with DVF London dress. Pair this chic tunic style with tights and heels until the weather warms up. $798. A runway staple, color-blocked Voyage Foldover Pochette is a must-have bag for spring. Carry as a clutch or tuck under the arm. $298. DVF, The Grand Canal Shoppes, 3327 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas. 702-818-2294 www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2015

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A runway favorite, the DVF Amana is the statement coat of the season. With hidden button front closure, slit pockets, and back pleat with button detail. $798. DVF, The Grand Canal Shoppes, 3327 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas. 702-818-2294

Straight from the runway, the DVF Morgan is pretty in pink. A subtle a-line mini dress with cap sleeves, button front and collar detail. In silk mikado with solid black knit back. Fully lined. Fit is true to size. $448 DVF, The Grand Canal Shoppes, 3327 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas. 702-818-2294

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Straight from the runway, the DVF Layla dress is a new twist on DVF’s popular Fluerette. Its sheer sleeves pair perfectly with feminine heels for a laid back elegance. $468. DVF, The Grand Canal Shoppes, 3327 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas. 702-818-2294

The Lillie Pleated Chiffon Gown in sunlight yellow is the epitome of effortless elegance. Intricate pleating detail throughout bodice and lined chiffon skirt with high slit show off legs. $798. DVF, The Grand Canal Shoppes, 3327 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas. 702-818-2294 www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2015

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the Party Goes On Vegas embraces Millennials and anyone else who’ll listen

By Brian Sodoma

I

n February, when the East Coast and Midwest were hammered by snowstorms, winter-weary citizens were exposed to Las Vegas commercials and other media as they watched weather forecasts on the Internet and television.

That strategic media placement comes from Rob Dondero’s team at R&R Partners, which is the marketing agency of record for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “We know people are checking the weather more. It’s a great place to insert a Las Vegas message. … ‘Having a bad day?’ It’s a great chance to sell them on it,” Dondero said.

Appealing to the vulnerable is one way to brand Las Vegas. But the man who oversaw the creative minds behind the “What Happens In Vegas Stays in Vegas” campaign says there are plenty more opportunities to pique the interest of potential visitors – even if it means wholly and publicly embracing impropriety or scandal.

In 2012, when Prince Harry was photographed playing strip billiards in a Las Vegas hotel room, Dondero’s team saw marketing gold. They put together a social media campaign touting digital ads that urged: “Keep Calm and Carry On Harry.”

“To us, there’s nothing wrong with what Prince Harry did. The only problem was that someone took a picture of it,” Dondero says.

It’s this gutsy, emboldened approach by R&R, the LVCVA and area resort operators that is keeping the Vegas brand relevant and near the top of destination and tourism hot spot lists every year.

The reality is that we’re in the midst of a protracted dearth of mega-resort openings that likely won’t end soon; and while the local entertainment world is constantly tinkering to find the next hot offering, the need to keep up the city’s sizzling image has probably

never been more important.

So, Dondero, along with other marketing pros, says we should expect plenty more envelope-pushing going forward.

Embracing our image Dondero often refers to Las Vegas as a pretty and irresistible girl at a party, who everyone wants to talk to – even if many may not have the courage to approach her. “We have to remind ourselves where Las Vegas fits in the conversation. We are that fun, unexpected person in the room,” he says.

The executive makes the analogy often in his work, and says the city’s constant reinvention of clubs, restaurants and entertainment offerings is a reflection of its commitment to being that irresistible party girl.

Keeping that message front and center has many moving parts, but some say it is still anchored in R&R’s “What Happens in Vegas …” campaign.

Billy Bai, senior assistant dean of UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, says the campaign marked the beginning of the city’s constant reinvention that we see today, as well as its full embrace of the adult playground image.

“It turned out to be pretty successful,” he said. “It’s been over 10 years and I believe the model will continue into the future.”

Bai also explains how the campaign’s approach opened the door for some effective copy-catting. “The Cosmopolitan’s ‘Right Amount of Wrong’ is similar,” he says. “It finds that space in the consumer’s mind that says there’s something you can always find here that you like. … You can be someone else for a day or two.”

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rtners Cour tesy The Co

smopolitan of

Las Vegas

Cour tesy R&R Pa Above: Screen shot of the Be yourself or anyone else TV spot.

Right: Poster from The Cosmopolitan‘s Just The Right Amount Of Wrong advertising campaign.

It finds that space in the consumer’s mind that says there’s something you can always find here that you like. … You can be someone else for a day or two.

— Billy Bai, senior assistant dean of UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration

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Cour tesy The Co

smopolitan of

Las Vegas

Millennial changes Millennials, folks 21 to 35 years old, are the highest-spending and largest consumer group today. And they embrace Las Vegas’ adult playground allure. It’s no secret that casino companies and Vegas brand marketers use social media to reach Millennials, but they are also sensitive about how they do it. “[It] is a way to inject ourselves into the conversation,” says Cathy Tull, senior vice president of marketing at the LVCVA. “But they don’t want to be advertised to.”

Millennials are influenced by photos, Tull’s research finds. So, the LVCVA uses Twitter TV to insert commercials into spaces where tweets about Las Vegas are happening. “We know our spot and know where it’s going to be salient. … Nobody just wants emails.”

Tull also said millennials view brands differently. “They’re not buying a brand. They’re buying into the idea of a brand. … So the whole idea of adult freedom, us being non-judgmental, is important to them,” she explains.

Gaming operators are keen to millennial needs as well. Scott Voeller, senior vice president of partnership and event marketing for MGM Resorts International, recently explained how the resort operator has gained considerable traction with its myvegas.com site.

It has 2 million fans for its Facebook page and massive daily user traffic. Myvegas.com allows visitors to play games (it’s not online gambling) that earn points that can be redeemed when visiting MGM properties.

Voeller says even staying on top of social media shifts can be challenging. Facebook may be a solid platform to connect to customers today, but who knows what will be hot tomorrow? And he acknowledges that myvegas.com seems to be more appealing to the older millennials, the Gen Y crowd.

“It’s about understanding that next thing that drives the customer,” he adds. “They’re the future of our market, and they’re different in how they respond and the types of experiences they want.”

Programming, experiences Voeller says there is still much to learn about the millennials’ desire for freedom and what it should look like. The long-time marketing executive says MGM’s new arena, in partnership with AEG, will bring more large festival-type events to the city. Even Dondero says the Electric Daisy Carnival and Life is Beautiful festivals provide marketers with great study points about millennials.

“They are social in how they participate in the destination,” Voeller explains. “They come here and they’re trying to find friends … They enjoy the space as a group gathering. … The days of bringing people into the resort and trapping them for hours at a time is just an old notion.”

Highlighting more intimate and only-in-Vegas experiences is also important. Under its MLife “Moments” rewards program, people can win “experiences,” including a Mandalay Bay beach clam bake with friends, a backstage tour of a Cirque du Soleil show or a chance to swim with the finned denizens at Shark Reef.

“Those are the stories you love to hear and engage in,” Voeller says. “It’s all about storytelling. It’s not just strong marketing messages across social channels.”

International interests International visitors make up about 20 percent of the current local tourism market, according to the LVCVA. Canada, Mexico and the U.K. are the top three international markets driving that growth.

Tull says the Chinese market, although it gets quite a bit of media attention, is likely underrepresented in travel statistics.

Many Chinese will enter the U.S. in California. At that point, when they travel, they are tracked as a “domestic” visitor. “Number-wise, they seem much smaller, but that’s because we’ve lost track of them,” Tull says.

In mainland China, gambling is illegal, and the Chinese government sometimes frowns upon having Las Vegas on the travel itinerary, Bai says. This may influence why many Chinese land elsewhere in the country before coming here, the professor speculates. “They look for a way to get around it,” he says.

For international visitors as a whole, highlighting everything the city has to offer is still key, says Tull. But since Las Vegas is tied in with trips to the Grand Canyon, and area national parks, international visitors require a different tact. “For us in marketing it’s about the bigger picture. How does Vegas fit into the bigger trip?” Tull says.

More tailoring ahead In the future, Bai says it’s important to attract more international customers by creating websites in multiple languages. “It’s time for us to look at who (makes up) the international customer coming to Las Vegas and to make that communication easier for that target audience,” he says.

Dondero says future marketing efforts will also push for more “organic content” on the web. He says the experiences friends share through online videos and photos could work as a marketing tool for the city as a whole.

He also says these video and photo experiences from Las Vegas present a greater opportunity to expand the international market.

“We know that the farther away you get from here, the less people know about what you can do here.”

And, yes, even if that organic content includes a naked prince and his billiard stick, it still can still be a great marketing tool.

History niche?

Las Vegas’ short but fascinating history is starting to slowly sneak into the marketing conversation, too. With the opening of the Mob Museum, Neon Museum, Oscar Goodman’s steakhouse and its vintage look, the El Cortez’s revival, and the many other historic touches downtown, one would think the city’s history could be a great marketing angle. Experts say it’s still too early to tell.

Tull refers to the Fremont East revitalization as “the next rebirth of downtown” after the Fremont Street Experience in the mid-90s, and it can appeal to a variety of audiences. “Not everyone wants to stay on the south Strip. Some want a more authentic experience,” she says.

And while few tourists likely head out to the Old Mormon Fort, Springs Preserve or the Natural History Museum just yet, these offerings bring a “value-added experience,” Bai says.

Dondero, a native who has marketed Vegas for nearly three decades, says it’s a topic near and dear to him. “I also believe that every Millennial you talk to who’s 21 to 25 years old, they’re interested in how Las Vegas got started.” www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2015

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