Psalms in the Morgue and Scrapped Rosh Hashanah Sermons: What Rabbis Remember About 9/11

Psalms in the morgue and scrapped Rosh Hashanah sermons: What rabbis remember about 9/11

On the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, which coincides with Erev Rosh Hashanah, faith leaders grapple with their grief, their congregants' feelings and the world.

Lower Manhattan Jews expect challenges when area shuts down for 9/11 memorial on eve of Rosh Hashanah

"It may be a little harder to get our brisket order from the butcher with the street closures," Rabbi Nissi Eber, co-director of the Chabad in Manhattan's financial district, told JNS.

9/11 Security Lockdown Creates Erev Rosh Hashanah Challenges for Lower Manhattan’s Jewish Community

As New York prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks on Friday, an unusual calendar convergence is creating logistical challenges for Yidden in Lower Manhattan: the massive security operation surrounding the commemorations will take place just hours before the onset of Rosh Hashanah. The NYPD plans to close much of the west side of Lower Manhattan to vehicular traffic beginning at 6 a.m. Friday, with streets expected to reopen at approximately 3 p.m. The closures will encompass the area surrounding the World Trade Center and the 9/11 Memorial, where thousands are expected to participate in commemorations marking a quarter-century since the attacks. For shuls in the area, that means much of the final Erev Yom Tov preparation will have to take place amid road closures, checkpoints and an enormous police presence — with only several hours separating the reopening of the streets from the onset of Rosh Hashanah. Rabbi Jonathan Glass realized the potential difficulty when he learned that the traffic restrictions would encompass the area surrounding the Tribeca Synagogue, where he serves as rav. The shul is preparing to host a large Rosh Hashanah seudah on Friday night, along with meals throughout the two-day Yom Tov on Shabbos and Sunday. The road closures immediately raised a practical concern: whether food and other deliveries would be able to reach the shul through the police perimeter. “I’m going to have to let people know about this as soon as possible,” he told JNS. “It could be a problem.” Rabbi Glass said he hopes the security checkpoints will be easier to navigate than they were in the months immediately following the September 11 attacks 25 years ago. At that time, police checkpoints were ubiquitous around the former World Trade Center site. According to Rabbi Glass, some officers stationed at the checkpoints were unfamiliar with the Tribeca Synagogue and mistakenly informed people attempting to reach it that the shul was closed, even when it was operating. September 11, 2001, was the only time the Tribeca Synagogue closed its doors since 1938. Although no member of the kehillah was killed in the attacks, many congregants lived close to the World Trade Center and were forced to evacuate their homes. Some were unable to return for three to six months, Rabbi Glass said. The neighborhood itself was transformed in the aftermath of the attacks. Clouds of toxic white ash and debris blanketed the World Trade Center area and spread through Lower Manhattan and into portions of Brooklyn, remaining an environmental and health concern long after the Twin Towers collapsed. Friday’s ceremonies will commemorate 25 years since 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger planes on September 11, 2001, murdering 2,977 people. Two aircraft were flown into the World Trade Center towers, causing both buildings to collapse. Another struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, while the fourth crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to retake control of the plane. The main ceremony Friday morning at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum will initially be limited to relatives of those who were killed, with admission by invitation. As has been done annually, the names of every victim will be read aloud. The memorial is scheduled to open to the general public later in the day. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Wednesday that the security operation surrounding this year’s commemoration will be particularly extensive. The 25th anniversary, combined with Rosh Hashanah and the broader international security environment, has prompted the NYPD to increase its deployment. “There will be layers of security that are highly visible and others that the public will not see,” Tisch said at the press conference. “New Yorkers can expect to see uniformed officers throughout the area, along with members of our counterterrorism bureau, heavy weapons teams and other specialized resources deployed as part of the operation.” Officials said the affected streets are expected to reopen at 3 p.m. For Yidden rushing to complete their final Yom Tov preparations, however, that does not leave much breathing room. Rosh Hashanah begins in New York shortly before 7 p.m. Friday, meaning the neighborhood will have only a few hours between the lifting of the security restrictions and the beginning of Yom Tov. At Chabad of FiDi in Manhattan’s Financial District, Rabbi Nissi Eber is taking the situation in stride — although there is at least one important Yom Tov concern. “It may be a little harder to get our brisket order from the butcher with the street closures,” Rabbi Eber told JNS. Fortunately, most of the approximately 100 people Rabbi Eber expects for davening and the Rosh Hashanah seudah live within walking distance of the Chabad center, limiting the impact of the traffic restrictions on the mispallelim themselves. Rabbi Eber and his wife, Chaya, arrived in the Financial District nine years ago to establish a permanent Jewish presence in the neighborhood. Two years ago, they began holding regular tefillos at their center. Last Rosh Hashanah, the young kehillah celebrated another milestone when it welcomed its first Sefer Torah. The hachnosas Sefer Torah captured an unusual scene: Rabbi Eber and members of his kehillah carrying the Sefer Torah through Fulton Street, with One World Trade Center — the Freedom Tower — rising behind them. The 1,776-foot skyscraper, whose height including its spire intentionally commemorates the year of American independence, was constructed on part of the World Trade Center complex. “We walked through the streets proud of our heritage, with the Freedom Tower in the background,” Eber told JNS. This year, the same streets will once again become the setting for a powerful convergence of remembrance and Jewish life. On Sunday, the second day of Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Eber and his kehillah plan to blow the shofar and walk to the South Street Seaport for tashlich. “We’ll have apples and honey, so that even the synagogue-averse can enjoy a taste of the holiday,” he said. For Rabbi Eber, having the 25th anniversary of September 11 fall immediately before Rosh Hashanah brings an added emotional dimension to this year’s Yom Tov. The anniversary naturally carries painful memories for New Yorkers, while Rosh Hashanah brings its own profound period of tefillah, reflection and teshuvah. The convergence, Rabbi Eber said, produces “mixed feelings.” “Rosh Hashanah is a holiday of introspection and reflection,” he told JNS. “Which is also how we New Yorkers view 9/11.”