Wednesday, September 12, 2012
To honor the memory of the nearly 3,000 people who perished in the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001, KKL-JNF held a ceremony together with the US embassy at the 9/11 Living Memorial in the Arazim Valley in Jerusalem.
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The impressive memorial. Photo: Yoav Dvir.
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Exactly eleven years ago, on September 11, the world, as we knew it, changed. To honor the memory of the nearly 3,000 people who perished in the 9/11 terror attack in the USA, there was a gathering today at the living memorial in the Arazim Valley in Jerusalem, which was built by KKL-JNF with the help of a contribution from friends of JNF USA.
Among those who attended the moving ceremony were KKL-JNF World Chairman Efi Stenzler; the US Ambassador to Israel, H.E. Daniel Shapiro; representatives of the families of the victims; and diplomats from 25 countries, who came to pay respects and express their support.
US Ambassador Daniel Shapiro opened his address with a citation from the Talmud: “One who destroys a single life, it is as though he has destroyed an entire world.” He noted that the day thousands of families lost their loved ones was also a turning point for the whole world. “To the families, we say, you are not alone. If we maintain the spirit of brotherhood, it will be the most worthy tribute to the memory of the deceased.”
Ambassador Shapiro also conveyed a firm message to our enemies who continue to support terror: “An Iran armed with a nuclear weapon is an unacceptable threat, and we will not permit it to be realized. The USA is not alone in its struggle against terror.”
About the special connection between the United States and the State of Israel, he said, “There is no nation in the whole world that better understands our pain and that better identifies with our experience than Israel.”
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Left to right: MK Isaac Herzog, Efi Stenzler & Daniel Shapiro.
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Efi Stenzler with US Marines. Photos: Yoav Dvir
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Ambassador Shapiro did not forget to thank KKL-JNF cordially for having constructed the unique memorial site. “This is the only 9/11 memorial outside the USA that commemorates the names of all the victims, and KKL-JNF deserves special thanks for this.”
The memorial plaza where the ceremony took place is named after Bronka Stavsky Rabin Weintraub and was dedicated to the memory of the victims and as a sign and symbol for hope and for peace.
The impressive memorial, which towers like a torch held up to the sky, was erected in 2009 and was designed by artist Eliezer Weishoff, with the support of the Blank family of New York. It is a monument to the loss, and a call for peace between nations.
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Donor recognition sign.
Photos: Yoav Devir
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Rabbi Menachem Kutner says a prayer for the deceased.
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Bereaved father Dov Shefi addresses the audience.
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“Eleven years have passed since that awful day,” said KKL-JNF World Chairman Efi Stenzler in his address. “On that day, the free world understood that there is no choice but to go to war against the forces of evil. This monument is not just a memorial site but also a warning sign.”
Stenzler noted that the hearts of all Israel’s citizens are with the members of the families of the victims. “We shall not rest, and we shall not be still, until terrorism is defeated.”
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Daniel Shapiro lays a wreath
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Ambassador Liora Herzl
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Participants pay respects
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Photos: Yoav Devir |
The memorial site is part of the
Jerusalem Metropolitan Park, which is currently being jointly developed by KKL-JNF and the Jerusalem Municipality, for the purpose of preserving the natural landscapes, surrounding the city with a green belt and developing an active recreation site. Indeed, from the memorial site one views unspoiled landscapes of the Jerusalem Hills and the Arazim Valley.
MK Isaac Herzog, a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, noted that the USA was called upon to lead the world in the war against terrorism, and it has continued to do so to this day. About the Iranian threat, he said, “This enemy should know that we will not allow it to acquire a nuclear weapon, even if military involvement is required in order to ensure this.”
Ambassador Liora Herzl spoke in the name of Israel's Foreign Ministry and emphasized the deep bond between the American people and the people of Israel. “Our connection is based on common values and on true friendship,” she said.
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Guests are reading vicitm's names.
Photo: Yoav Dvir
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Daniel Shapiro with Dov Shefi. Photo: Yoav Dvir
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Among the victims of the 9/11 terror attack, there were five Israelis. Brig. Gen. (ret.) Dov Shefi, father of the late Hagay Shefi, spoke in the name of the bereaved families. He expressed his hope that the western world would continue the war on terror with determination, and he commended President Obama for eliminating Osama bin Laden. “The bereaved families in the USA and all over the world see this ceremony, which is taking place here in Jerusalem, as a sacred and remarkable event,” said the bereaved father.
The ceremony was concluded with wreaths placed by representatives of the various organizations and with the singing of the national anthems of the USA and of Israel. The entire audience was invited to place flowers on the monument. Pain and anguish were visible on the faces of the people, many of whom went over to the panel with the names of the victims and reached out to touch the names of their dearly beloved, who were killed in the heinous attacks of 9/11.