Dear Friends,

Ten years later, the 9/11 terrorist attack remains vivid in the memories of all who were old enough to witness the tragedy, be it through the personal loss of a beloved family member or friend, or as someone present in New York at the time, or as a contemporary witness to the unfolding events elsewhere. The attack destroyed lives, challenged a city and nation, sparked wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and deepened the fear of terrorism from both expected and unexpected sources.

Over the years, American Jews - as others - produced a wide-ranging literature on the 9/11 tragedy. This BJPA newsletter presents a selection of writings published in the 12 months following September 11, 2001, as we commemorate the tenth anniversary of the horrible event.

Writing for CLAL, the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, and searching for a way to capture her experience less than two weeks after the attack, Libby Garland decided to "give up on coherence," and "try to put down some of the bits and pieces instead." ("Smoke.") Jay Rosen, then Chair of the NYU Journalism Department, shared excerpts from a series of emails he wrote on 9/11 itself, and the days that followed ("Emails From Manhattan"). Tsvi Blanchard offered "Reflections on Tragedy and Triumph," observing that, "A long-term response to global terror demands a global vision grounded in the strongest power we know-love that takes us beyond ourselves." Janet Kirchheimer reflected on the words of the High Holiday Unetaneh Tokef prayer ("A Still, Small Voice").

In October 2001, David Kraemer looked back on his experiences on that day, and discussed "The Power of Community to Comfort." In November, Garland juxtaposed ongoing 9/11-related investigations of foreigners with America's distrust of foreigners in generations past ("Tracking Dangerous Aliens Among Us, Then and Now").

In its December 2001 issue, Sh'ma focused on war - the war in Afghanistan, and the acts of war in September which provoked it. Marc Gopin insisted, "This War is About Religion and Cannot Be Won Without It." Reuven Firestone cautioned that before Jews lecture Muslims about jihad, "Our Own House Needs Order." Dawn Rose, in "Understanding the Power of Words of War," called on President Bush to speak plainly and admit that Afghan civilians will die by America's hand, albeit unintentionally. Irving Greenberg noted that Israel's experience with terror offered American Jewry the chance to share Jewish and Israeli experiences with America, to construct an ethical and effective response to terror ("A Light Unto the Nation: Sharing a Jewish Ethic with America"). Saul J. Berman presented a Torah framework for fighting war within ethical limits ("The War Against Evil and Ethical Constraints"), in parallel with Arnold E. Resnicoff's "Rules for Our Sake, Not For Our Enemies." Vanessa L. Ochs wondered about "The Proper Blessing for Terror." Sidney Schwarz confronted "The Terror in Our Hearts" and found "silent presence" the most appropriate response.

The Journal of Jewish Communal Service examined "Community Relations in the Aftermath of September 11," presenting analyses by Hannah Rosenthal, Marla J. Feldman, and Nancy K. Kaufman. For the Institute for Jewish & Community Research, Gary A. Tobin and Sid Groeneman reported on "American Public Opinion Toward Israel & U.S. Policy in the Middle East: Post September 11, 2001," finding that 93% of Americans at the time believed that the US and Israel should cooperate fully in combating terrorism.

In January 2002, Aviezer Ravitzky, representing the JDC International Centre for Community Development , spoke on "Israel: Possible Scenarios After September 11th," exploring how to reconcile nationalist and religious identities.

Later that year, Sh'ma's May issue focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the previous fall's terrorist attacks were an important part of the conversation. Stephen P. Cohen argued that American Jews were now "At the Crossroads," in a unique position as both Israel and America faced essentially the same enemy, while Sidra DeKoven-Ezrahi took issue with Cohen's formulation ("At the Divide"). David Makovsky argued that Jews must work with moderate Muslims in "Taking on the Ideology of Islamicism".

Writing for CLAL in June 2002, Shari Cohen drew inspiration from the concept of Shabbat when considering America's dilemmas regarding "Balancing Openness and Vigilance." Tsvi Blanchard reflected on the changed world, wondering whether Jews needed "A New Jewish Politics After 9/11".

As September 2002 arrived, with the first anniversary of that horrendous day, Steven B. Nasatir envisioned "The Dawn of a New Covenant" in the relationship between Israel and American Jewry, and Avi Weiss penned "Reflections on 9/11 One Year Later." 

These writings constitute only a few of the Jewish community's attempts to come to grips with this horrific tragedy in the year that followed September 11, 2001. Now, ten years later, as our worldviews are irrevocably affected by September 11, we simply continue to remember - and mourn - those who were lost.

With best wishes,

Steven

Prof. Steven M. Cohen

Director, Berman Jewish Policy Archive @ NYU Wagner