ince I took the ìaspirin of leadershipî in April, the Society has been hard at work focusing on the goals we set forth at our April 11, 1999 membership meeting:
ï Community Outreach -- increasing our visibility in New Mexico.
ï Oral History -- arranging for workshops which can train members how to collect oral histories from the descendants of important New Mexican Jewish families.
ï Fund Raising -- we have had tribute envelopes printed and distributed to our entire membership so that for special occasions or memorials, gifts can be made to honor a person or event, with the proceeds going to build our endowment fund.
ï Archive Development -- members of the board and I have met with Sandra Jaramillo, the director of the New Mexico State Archives, and several important developments will unfold regarding the updating and maintenance of our archive collection.
      Another exciting development involves a unique gift from Mr. and Mrs. J. Klinger from Rockville, Maryland. Their generosity will enable us to begin putting plaques on buildings around the State which memorialize the Jewish presence in New Mexico. The first plaque will be made for Congregation Montefiore, the first synagogue in New Mexico, built in Las Vegas, NM in 1884.
      We look forward to increasing membership participation in events from the current level of 34% to at least 50% by the end of 2000.
      Please let me know your ideas about how to improve the work we are doing. You are all welcome to attend any board meeting so that you can participate in the leadership of our organization.

A. David Scholder

News About the Archive

Nordhaus Documents Land
Claims of Jicarilla Apache

s our members know, we receive small contributions of family memorabilia, documents and photographs throughout the year. From time to time we are given something out of the ordinary, and this brief article will announce two particularly valuable gifts we have received from the Nordhaus family.
      Descendants of Max Nordhaus, an important pioneer merchant from Las Vegas, New Mexico, offered the Society documentation pertaining to various families related to Max Nordhaus. They are the Bacharach, Ilfeld, Staab, Goldberg, Schultz and Spiegelberg families. Coincidentally, the archive acquired Tipi Rings, A Chronicle of the Jicarilla Apache Land Claims, written by Albuquerque attorney, Robert Nordhaus.
      Between 1958 and 1971, Nordhaus represented the Jicarilla Apacheís land claim before the Indian Claim Commission. The Jicarilla Apache sought and received payments for ancestral land taken by the United States government without due compensation.
      The book outlines the case, spotlighting the history of the Indian claims and bringing Jicarilla Apache ethnological, archaeological, and historical evidence to prove that the land was used and occupied by the Jicarilla Apache in both prehistoric and historic times. Nordhaus presented historic reports of U.S. officials, numerous maps, and the testimony of older members of the tribe, as well as opinions of prominent experts, such as anthropologist, Frank Hibben.
      This snippet of information about our archive offers us a glimpse into the ongoing relationship between New Mexico Jewish families and the Native American populations around the State.