Jerusalem’s Arazim Valley is home to the 9/11 Living Memorial, where a ceremony is held every year on the anniversary of the terror attacks. This year’s ceremony took place on Wednesday since September 11 falls on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. JNS reports that U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee spoke at the ceremony, along with families who lost loved ones in the attacks 25 years ago.
“Twenty-five years after the horrific September 11 attacks, we remember the 2,977 innocent lives taken and the families who have carried that loss,” U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said at the ceremony.
Huckabee began his remarks with a personal memory of his father, a firefighter. As a young boy, he recalled visiting the fire station and sliding down the pole.
That memory took on a different meaning as he spoke about the firefighters and first responders who ran toward the burning buildings on Sept. 11.
“It was a wake-up call,” Huckabee said, emphasizing the courage of those who responded to the attacks.
Among the stories of extraordinary bravery was that of Rick Rescorla, head of security for Morgan Stanley. Thanks to evacuation planning and regular drills, approximately 2,700 Morgan Stanley employees in the South Tower were able to escape.
Rescorla returned to the building to help others. He never came out.
For Huckabee, honoring that day means remembering not only those whose lives were taken but also those who understood that their responsibility was to run toward danger while others ran away.
Some attendees also flew in from New York for the memorial. Suri and Henoch Morgenstern attended for the first time in memory of their daughter Nancy, who was killed at the World Trade Center while working for the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald. The Morgenstern family has continued to honor her memory through charitable work in both Israel and the U.S.
Other speakers included Professor Marc Wikenfeld of Hadassah Medical Center, who has spent the last 25 years treating first responders and studying the long-term illnesses that so many people have experienced in the aftermath of the attacks. Since then, more than 9,000 people have died from cancer and lung disease linked to exposure to the toxic environment created by the attacks.
Lastly, American and Israeli firefighters, first responders, and military personnel were in attendance and reaffirmed their commitment to rooting out terrorism. For them, “Never Forget” isn’t just a reminder; it’s part of how and why they serve. Even as the threats of terrorism have evolved over the years, the alliance between the two countries hasn’t changed.
As Jewish National Fund-USA CEO Russell Robinson said, “hope is more powerful than terrorism.” Join us today as we give thanks to God for the heroism shown by first responders and ordinary citizens on that terrible day, pray for those still grieving the loss of loved ones, and appeal to Him to heal those fighting long-term illnesses.