Who We Are
Bet Knesset Bamidbar (BKB) (The Congregation of the Desert) is Nevada's largest Seniors Only Temple. Located in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas, we are over 850 members, age 55+. We meet on the second and fourth Friday nights of each month and for Jewish holidays. Services are led by our RABBI Elaine Schnee, CANTOR Jonathan Friedmann,
Marek Rachelski our wonderful Pianist and the BKB Choir.
Temple History
In 1990 Del Webb Corporation built a Sun City Adult Living Community in the new Master Planned Community of Summerlin. At the time, Summerlin was on the outskirts of Las Vegas. Sun City expanded to over 7,700 homes. It provided golf courses, community centers, and activities for its residents.
Within a few years following its opening, there were enough Jewish residents that they began considering having some type of unified religious experience for the residents of Sun City. And, we formed Bet Knesset Bamidbar (which means "The Congregation of the Desert"). Initially we met at Mountain Shadows Recreation Center. Soon, we outgrew this facility and we arranged to use the Desert Vista Community Center as our meeting place. Laymen were leading the services and organizing the Jewish activities, but these were people who, for the most part, came to Las Vegas to retire, play golf, and reduce the pressure in their lives. So naturally, we decided that we were willing to pay a professional to lead our religious services.
In 1996, we hired Rabbi Hershel Brooks, who also had come to retire in Las Vegas. In 2005, the congregation added a young cantor, Jonathan Friedmann, with a huge voice and opened up the temple membership to people living outside the Sun City community. Rabbi Brooks has assumed the position of Rabbi Emeritus and Rabbi Elaine Schnee started with us on July 1, 2011.
Please contact us at BKB Email here
Please direct all correspondence to PO Box 33503 Las Vegas, NV 89133
