City Week

Remembering the Holocaust

The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona is holding its annual Yom HaShoah Community Holocaust Commemoration; this year's theme is "Legacies of Justice." This is the Jewish Federation's way of remembering those who experienced the Holocaust and honoring those who survived its horrors.

Josh Protas of the JCRC says that people typically think that the Nuremberg Trials sufficiently brought justice to the wrongs of the Holocaust, but it was actually something called the First Holocaust Trial.

The topic of the First Holocaust Trial will be discussed by Professor Shlomo Aronson from the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies. Aronson is the Schusterman visiting professor in Israel studies from Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

The program will also include the sharing of memories by local Holocaust survivors. Protas estimates there are roughly 100 to 150 Holocaust survivors in the Tucson area.

The Holocaust Commemoration will focus on the legacy of justice that followed the Holocaust. Along with the shared reflections of Holocaust survivors will be a candle-lighting ceremony and musical presentations.

Protas says that the commemoration occurs all around the world to remember those who experienced the Holocaust and to honor the survivors by listening to them share their stories.

In addition to the Yom HaShoah Commemoration is Holocaust survivor Gabrielle Schneider's book reading and signing on Monday, April 23, at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. Her book, Andor Kept His Promise From the Grave, reflects Schneider's experiences with the Holocaust.

The annual event is free and open to the public. Visit jewishtucson.org for more information. --K.H.

Wheels on Display

Spring has sprung, and Ford Mustangs are budding all up and down Fourth Avenue! Well, they aren't quite budding, but Ford Mustangs of all different types will be displayed on Fourth Avenue by the Southern Arizona Mustang Club.

The Southern Arizona Mustang Club claims to be the oldest Mustang club in the world, and they know their stuff.

"They will be showing all vintage Fords, from the buggy days on up to the present," says Kurt Tallis, director of marketing events for Fourth Avenue.

There are an estimated 250 Fords in the "Fords on Fourth" car show, and Fourth Avenue will be closed off from Sixth to Ninth streets to create a show space for the vintage wheels. The trolley will continue to make scheduled stops throughout the day up and down the show space.

The "Fords on Fourth" car show promises to be a sight to see, as car owners put great detail and hard work into the Fords they own and display.

"Their paint jobs are more than your salary and mine combined," says Tallis.

Anyone owning a Ford of any type can register their car to be shown in the "Fords on Fourth" car show. If you don't own a Ford, and just want to stroll up and down Fourth Avenue to ogle at the wide spectrum of vintage and modern-day rides, you can attend the show for free.

To register your Ford, call 622-6118 or visit southernarizonamustangclub.org. Also visit fourthavenue.org for more information. --K.H.

Green Scene

The first Earth Day took place in April 1970, after Sen. Gaylord Nelson saw the effects of a bad California oil spill and passed a bill to set aside one day a year to celebrate our planet. This bill was an overwhelming success--at least 20 million Americans and thousands of schools and communities participated in the holiday, and many important environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, were passed in its wake.

Today, Earth Day is more popular than ever, and every April 22, more than 500 million people celebrate it worldwide. But UA students will get a head start on the festivities next Thursday, when they'll host an event to unite all Tucsonans who want to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.

Perhaps the most important way to do this, event organizers feel, is through lowering carbon emissions in our everyday lives. Accordingly, the theme for this year's UA Earth Day is green transportation. On this day at the university campus, you can see many different kinds of energy-efficient vehicles like hybrid and ethanol cars--which will be exhibited right on the mall--and visit a huge variety of booths run by local, eco-friendly organizations, businesses and student clubs.

"Mainly," says Stephan Classen, the president of the UA's Student Recycling Association, "this event is about honoring the Earth and supporting environmental issues, being in touch with nature and realizing just how important the Earth is to us. And if people could work more on the gas issue, they'd see that even on a small scale, they can make a difference. And save money, too."

The event is free. And if you don't want to park--and want to set a good example--ride there on your bike! --A.M.

Party in the Park

Despite its name, the Fiesta de Saguaro is not a celebration of saguaros ... it's just called that because it's at Saguaro National Park. What it is, in fact, is a day-long party meant to honor Hispanic history and culture--and it's the first ever to be held at the park.

It all came about, says park ranger Melanie Flores--the brains behind the festival--because historian Robin Pinto had been doing research on the history of local Hispanic settlers, and she ended up with a lot of fascinating information that needed to be shared. So Flores came up with the idea of a festival about Hispanic heritage, at which Pinto will be the featured speaker. Along with her will be author Patricia Martin, who will share her own thoughts and knowledge about Hispanic influences, and sign some of her many books.

If you're not into lectures, you can participate in some more lively ways to learn. For kids, there will be piñata-breaking ceremonies and hands-on activities, like grinding corn with a matate and mano, and making tissue-paper flowers. As for the adults, they can view art, craft demonstrations and special exhibits, like a display of historic photographs of Hispanic ranchers. And the whole family can enjoy folklorico dancing and musical performances.

"There are so many ways the Hispanic culture has influenced our lives," says Flores, "and it's important to recognize that. Also, we're going to have a lot of great traditional Mexican food, which is always a draw!"

The fiesta and admission to the park will be free. But unless you're just driving through, you'll want to leave your car at Sahuaro Baptist Church (10361 E. Old Spanish Trail), from which a shuttle to the event will run continuously from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. --A.M.