September 11. 2001 and September 11, 2012

The 11th year commemoration of September 11 was two days ago. I was lucky to be in Issues because I could spend a part of my day at school directly connected to the events that occured on September 11 in New York. We watched a video documentary about firemen and the filmmakers who happened to have their cameras on while the towers were being hit and crumbling down. I think this was a fabulous movie because it was 100% true and there was no recreation of anything, so I could actually feel like I was in it and experiencing the horror along with the people in it. As opposed to a movie where I cannot connect at all because it was a recreation. The firefighters and others who helped save civilians were, in my opinion, the biggest heroes that America has ever seen. They inspire me to do something in my life where I have helped others.

I remember September 11, 2001 like it was yesterday. I was in first grade at Solomon Schechter Day School. We were all lining up to go somewhere, and I look up (because first graders are very short) and see all of my hebrew and religious teachers babbling away in hebrew like something terrible had just happened. I was not fluent enough in hebrew yet so I could not follow their conversation or anything, but I could tell something was not right. At the time, the worst thing that I, a Jewish private school 1st grader, could think of that would have happened was that the Torah dropped. The Torah is one of the most holy parts of Judaism and in my head I formulated a conclusion that the Torah had dropped. I got very sad and didn't really understand why they couldn't just tell us that in English.

When I got home I don't remember hearing about it but I remember that my parents were very worried and stressed out for a while after that. A few years later I learned that my sister, since she was in 3rd grade, was able to watch live footage from the news as it was happening, but since I was in first grade I was too young to watch it. I now understand why I did not see footage of this until middle school probably. It was a huge part of my life while it was happening and I didn't even know it. And now, I have friends who live in New York from my Youth Group. I could never imagine losing any of them. They offered to show me around the new Ground Zero memorial which I heard was beautiful. I heard that it is the most patriotic I will ever feel once I experience this memorial.

I've reflected a lot on how American society has changed since that day in September up until the same day in September but 11 years later. I've changed too; we've all changed.  The thought still haunts me that I was alive during this event and I am thankful for and never take for granted the high level of security we have at airports and concern our parents have for us at all times because really, the world is dangerous and unpredictable.