Holocaust History Center to get major expansion
As part of an expansion project, construction at the Holocaust History Center at the Jewish History Museum, 564 S. Stone Ave., begins June 1.
The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway, will host a free presentation on the center’s purpose and architectural expansion Wednesday. A reception begins at 5:30 p.m. with the presentation following at 6 p.m.
The current, 400-square-foot exhibit is in a historic house next to the Jewish History Museum. The expansion, designed by SBBL Architecture + Planning, will make use of the entire building, increasing the exhibit to 2,000 square feet. It will also add memorial and sculpture gardens to create a continuous campus between the buildings that house the main museum and Holocaust center, said Bryan Davis, the interim executive director of the Jewish History Museum.
The renovated center will digitally highlight the stories of some of the 260 Holocaust survivors who have moved to Southern Arizona from 18 countries, Davis said.
The current center showcases a wall of survivors’ photos, along with biographical information. Plans for the expanded center include a wall of screens running individual testimonies.
“We are going from static imagery to digital, so people can see facial expressions and hear voices and hear their stories,” Davis said. The existing wall of photos will find a new home elsewhere in the community.
Another new exhibit will change frequently and spotlight current human rights abuses, Davis said.
The Holocaust History Center is currently open 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and noon to 3 p.m. Friday. The center will close for construction June 1 with a reopening planned for February 2016. For more information, call the museum at 670-9073.
Grace St. Paul’s opens summer camp
Registration for an arts summer camp at Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams St., is now open.
The camp is for children who have completed kindergarten through eighth grade and runs June 8-12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the church campus.
Local artist Linda Rosenfield will share recent experiences in Africa with students through music, dance, food and Bible stories, among other methods. The camp theme is “Spiritual and Cultural Treasures of Africa,” according to press materials.
The $65 cost for the week includes supplies, along with snacks and lunch. Register by June 1. Visit gsptucson.org for more information and to find a registration form. Call the church at 327-6857.
Temple Emanu-El celebrates Torah
Temple Emanu-El, 225 N. Country Club Road, will study the revelation of the Ten Commandments at its Tikkun L’eil Shavu’ot service, all-night study session and cheesecake bake-off at 8 p.m. Saturday.
Rabbi Samuel Cohon and Rabbi Batsheva Appel will teach “The Mountain All Aflame: Standing for the First Time, and Again, at Mt. Sinai,” and the evening will conclude around 11:30 p.m., according to press materials.
The event is free, but each guest should bring a cheesecake or dairy dessert to share. For more information or to make a reservation call 327-4501.
