To Hope and Healing

On September 11, Chabad houses nationwide joined millions of Americans to commemorate and honor the lives of the thousands who perished on this tragic day one year ago.

Three hundred gathered on Brooklyn’s promenade for morning services. At the precise times that the towers were hit one year ago, the shofar was sounded. The solemn, broken call of the ram’s horn seemed to capture well the profound feelings sorrow and yearning, so pervasive on this day. A moment of silence was then followed by the recitation of Psalms in memory of those killed.

A vibrant neighborhood at the foot of Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights’ Jewish community lost several of its own members last September 11th. “Many people who attended had never been to Chabad before,” says Rabbi Ari Raskin, Chabad representative to Brooklyn Heights. “People came because they felt the need to participate in something meaningful, something that would inspire them.”

Rabbi Raskin addressed the crowd on the significance of the date, 9-11, a number previously associated with calls for help, which terrorists tried to transform into a number representing destruction and despair. “But King David beat them to it,” said Rabbi Raskin, quoting Psalms 9, verse 11, which reads: “Those who know Your Name put their trust in You, for You, L-rd, have not abandoned those who seek You.”

Similar tributes were held at Chabad-Lubavitch centers nationwide, with messages of hope, healing, and a call to action for a world repaired by random acts of goodness and kindness.