The Day the Towers Fell

On September 9, 2001, I was flying back to New York City on a red-eye from San Francisco. I had just been on a panel with the late Congressman Tom Lantos, discussing Israel, the Middle East, democracy, and our shared values.

During our discussion, he mentioned a few times that “The greatest threat to America was a group called Al Qaeda.” I knew about Hezbollah, Hamas, the Islamic Brotherhood, and others, yet I was less familiar with Al Qaeda.

Just as we were landing, I looked out the window and saw the beautiful skyline of New York City, the Twin Towers glistening in the early morning sun.

Two days later, during a meeting in my office with an Israeli delegation discussing plans to bring more visitors to Israel, I received a call from my wife saying, “Something hit the Twin Towers!”

I turned on the television and couldn’t believe it. I saw the north tower engulfed in flames, and minutes later, we watched as a second plane crashed into the south tower. In front of our eyes, we witnessed thousands of people’s lives being extinguished, people jumping from windows, and the horrors of hate and terrorism on full display for the world to see.

At Jewish National Fund-USA House on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, our security informed us that other organizations were closing. We also heard that the Lincoln Tunnel and George Washington Bridge had stopped traffic.

We immediately mobilized and bought food, blankets, and other necessities, as we had a feeling our offices were going to become a refugee center.

Reports came in that a plane crashed into the Pentagon and another into a field in Pennsylvania. By nightfall, our building was full of people who could not get home, watching TV in shock, not knowing what tomorrow would bring.

As reports came out, we realized this was an attack on democracy, our way of life, our values, and freedom.

As it would turn out, the group of terrorists that Congressman Tom Lantos spoke about in San Francisco was responsible.

As the days unfolded, countless stories of American heroism, courage, and bravery began to emerge.

We watched footage of New York firefighters running into the Twin Towers, aware of the dangers yet desperate to save just one more soul; The first responders sifting through the rubble for survivors; And the passengers on United Flight 93 who, once realizing that terrorists were onboard who were planning to fly their plane into the White House, mobilized to take control with their famous last words, “Let’s roll,” as they fought the terrorists, crashing the plane into an empty field. They lost their lives yet saved thousands of others.

The youngest victim of this act of terrorism was a 2-year-old, and the oldest was 85. Thousands of people from 58 nations perished that day at the hands of an evil group of terrorists who despised the ideals that America and the West stood for.

A few years later, thanks to a generous contribution from philanthropist Ed Blank of New York, we built our 9/11 Living Memorial on the hilltops overlooking Jerusalem.

The names of all 2,977 victims are etched in Jerusalem stone at the memorial, and every year for the past 15 years, we have held a 9/11 ceremony there. The United States Ambassador to Israel cohosts the event with us, and people from across the world, family members of victims, and others come and place flowers and honor the lives lost.

We call it a “living memorial” because of the hundreds of trees we planted around it, symbolic of our unyielding commitment to life and renewal.

When you enter our memorial, the words “Tolerance NOT Terrorism” are etched in the same Jerusalem stone.

Every year, we broadcast our 9/11 ceremony live, which you can watch on Jewish National Fund-USA’s Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram feeds. Jewish students from kindergarten to eighth grade also participate in handing out a picture of our 9/11 memorial to first responders at fire and police stations across the United States.

This year, Jewish National Fund-USA has also added 44 college campuses that will hold 9/11 memorials coordinated by Students Supporting Israel.

As we approach the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, we are reminded of the sanctity and scarcity of life, with moments of sadness and joy, interwoven at times. Now, more than ever, let’s come together to promote our shared values, ones that advocate tolerance over terrorism, as we say to the world, “We believe in life!”