Tag: 9/11 Memorial

A Bridge Too Far Part 2: Pro-Palestinian Protesters at the 9/11 Memorial

Some places are sacred. No matter what one’s opinion is, these locations should be respected for what they represents.

Last week, a group of anti-Israel protesters made their opinion known next to the 9/11 memorial in New York City. As I stated in my previous post, I would never infringe on anyone’s right to speak. But as a native New Yorker, I can’t stay silent.

This is a burial ground. It is disrespectful to both the victims and their loved ones that this monument to innocent lives lost is being twisted to fit their narrative.

What is telling is that while Bashar Assad continues to murder his own people in Syria, the rest of the world turns a blind eye.

Wonder why?

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Happy Tuesday.

P.S. Claudine Gay resigned as President of Harvard due to proven accusations of plagiarism. I love karma.

9/11: 22 Years and It Still Feels Like Yesterday

For those of us above a certain age, September 11th, 2001 is a day that is forever frozen in amber.

Today is 22 years since the Twin Towers fell, the Pentagon was attacked, and United Airlines Flight 93 crashed. 22 years since nearly 3000 innocent lives were taken. Since then, thousands have gotten sick and/or died due to related illnesses. They either lived, worked, went to school in the areas affected, or put their own needs on hold to get people out or look for survivors in the rubble. Their deaths only quadruple the heartache of those who were directly taken from us.

Back in July, I saw Yellowcard perform at Pier 17 for the 2oth anniversary of Ocean Avenue (BTW, it was one the best concerts I have been to in a long time). The pier is a short walk from the 9/11 Memorial. As I stared up at the sky, I couldn’t help but think what was and will never be again.

Believe was on the set list (as I hoped it would be). Hearing it live made the remembrance of that day even more potent.

May the memories of all who have died from September 11th forever be a blessing. Z”l.

I’m Ok-The New York Terrorist Attack

There was a terrorist attack today in New York City.  A man (who shall be rendered nameless in the blog post and therefore powerless) drove into a crowd near the World Trade Center Memorial. It was mid afternoon. Students were getting out of school, many of them excited for their Halloween festivities.  Adults were minding their own business when a man drove a rented Home Depot van down a busy bicycle path.

As of this evening, 8 innocent people are dead and others are injured.

The fact that this terrorist chose to kill civilians near the 9/11 memorial just adds to the grief of the families whose loved ones were needlessly taken from them. It also reminds me what a dangerous world we live in.

It also reminds me that New Yorkers have an inner strength that is always in the background. We survived 9/11. We survived Hurricane Sandy. We can survive this.

G-d bless the souls of the innocent lives lost, may their memories be a blessing to those who knew them best.

The Survivor Tree

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15 years and one day ago, the Twin Towers were just another office building in New York City. 15 years ago today, the Twin Towers would be no more.

Several years ago, I had a friend visiting from out-of-town. One of the sites we visited was the 9/11 Memorial.

Standing out from the stone memorials is the survivor tree. It was found within the rubble after the ash and the smoke cleared. Though it was badly damaged, it survived and continues to survive to this day.

It represents so much. It represents that life does go on and we can heal. Even in our weakest and most broken moments, we can and will survive. We can and will pick ourselves up and find a way to move forward.

We will never forget the innocent souls whose lives were taken 15 years ago. May their memories be a blessing.

The 9/11 Generation

The last three generations have seen profound and world altering change. My grandparent’s generation watched the world change due to The Great Depression, World War II and the attack at Pearl Harbor. The idyllic world of the 1950’s that my parents grew up in were forever shattered by the assassination of JFK and The Vietnam War.

My generation will be forever defined by one day: September 11th, 2001.

Anyone who knows me (or has read this blog) knows that New York City is in my blood and my bones. My family has been here for over 100 years. My immigrant great-grandparents came to this city and to America to escape the poverty and the oppression of Eastern Europe. Though not without its challenges, this city and her people gave my ancestors the start they needed to provide for future generations.

On September 11th, 2001, New York City was dealt a blow that nearly crippled her and her people. Coming of age in a post 9/11 world has forever changed my generation. We see the consequences of hate and prejudice. We also see the beauty of people coming together and seeing each other not as labels, but simply as human beings.

Where I currently work is very close to the 9/11 Memorial. Most of the time, I don’t pay attention to how close I am. This week, I could not help but think about how close my office is to where the Twin Towers stood.

Tomorrow is 9/11. We will never forget the lives lost and the emotional scar that will never completely heal.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

9/11/2001

Iron 1

 

Thirteen years ago today, September 10th, 2001, we were innocent. Thirteen years ago tomorrow, September 11th, 2001, we were no longer innocent.

The destruction of The World Trade Center and murder of nearly 3000 innocent people was a punch to the gut that came completely out of left field. As New Yorkers,  Americans and human beings, it brought us down to our literal knees.

The world we knew had changed and not for the better. We were drowning in our grief. The destruction of the Twin Towers, the partial destruction of the Pentagon and the martyrs who died in that field in Pennsylvania, was all around us. The images of that day have since then been burned in our collective consciousness.

Thirteen years does not completely erase the pain, especially for those who lost loved ones.  But time does help to heal some wounds.  It helps us to remember the good times.

I visited the 9/11 memorial last summer.  Even this jaded, seen it all New Yorker had to reach for the kleenex.   It is a heart breaking, beautiful memorial and should be a must see for locals and tourists alike.

9/11/2001, the day that forever changed the world around us.

My 9/11

I remember 9/11 as if it was yesterday.

12 years ago, I was a junior in college. My classes didn’t start until later in the morning, so I was enjoying breakfast in my dorm room and watching TV. When the local channels went down, I switched to the cable channels, not knowing what happened.

In the chaos, cell phone numbers were exchanged to call our families, the landlines had been knocked down when the towers fell.  That evening, I remember sitting on the steps of the student union, feeling lost and unsure. I was alive and hours away from New York City, but my heart and my mind were within the city I had known and loved my entire life.  

I remember coming home the first fall break and as the bus drove over the bridge, everyone looked up to see where the Towers had stood only a few weeks before.

I visited Ground Zero this summer for the first time.  Standing between the two reflection pools, surrounded by tourists and locals, I felt that the nearly 3000 souls taken from us 12 years ago were still there, watching over us. 

New York City, like the people who inhabit her, are survivors. We may be bent, but never broken.  12 years may have passed, but we still mourn and remember.

RIP.