The Human Spirit: Twin terror  

By Barbara Sofer

Recent forest fires in the Jerusalem Hills have muted the scent of wild thyme and reduced the greenery around the monument, but the Living Monument Plaza, Israel’s singular monument for the victims of September 11, stands untouched.

The memorial ceremony is the US Embassy’s official commemoration, partnering with Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund. Among the participants: a delegation of American police officers, in Israel to study with colleagues; buses of new American immigrants through Nefesh B’Nefesh; the entire Young Judaea Year Course, a gap–year program of mostly American teens; bereaved families.

An ocean separates Jerusalem and New York, but today we feel twinned – like the towers. Indeed, most of the eloquent speakers note our mirrored values, our mutual struggle and our shared resilience.

Fifteen years have passed, but the pain is "raw and painful as the day itself," says Ronald Lauder, chairman of the JNF board, himself a New Yorker. The nearly 3,000 names are etched around the cenotaph, even victims from countries that refuse to recognize Israel.