Our 9/11 legacy, 15 years later

A version of this column appeared on the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

This week, I am presenting some of the works based upon our religious tradition that serve as my tribute to those who gave of themselves in their dedicated efforts to the martyred others who gave of their last full measure.

The Beth Din of America, led by Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwartz, published an anthology of articles, “Contending With Catastrophe: Jewish Perspectives on September 11th, edited by Rabbi Michael J. Broyde.

Among those who wrote on this event, Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein of Yeshivat Har Etzion made a profound observation. “This event has one weighty aspect that distinguishes it to a certain degree from other recent tragedies and struggles,” Rabbi Lichtenstein wrote. “This element is not unprecedented, but many thought that it had disappeared from the modern horizon. I refer to the religious aspect of this attack.

“Many people thought that religious wars had passed from the world. Some viewed this development favorably, other unfavorably. Some thought that it stemmed from a deficiency in religious ferver, from a spiritual decline. They lamented that people go to war for oil, but not for the glory of G-d.”

Rabbi Lichtenstein notes that religion now finds itself a war-maker on the world stage.

Prof. David Shatz, in a postscript to his 36 page essay in this book, makes the following observation:

“This essay presumes that religion can cause violence and does so in today’s world. … Sudies give much weight to other causes of fanaticism — social, political, psychological, economic — and sometimes view religion as a veneer that in itself plays little role in the explanation of the violence.”

Shatz continues to evaluate this and affirms further his conviction that, unfortunately, religion does indeed play a crucial role in violence today.

This concern for the role that religious belief now plays in the violence that we witness throughout the world is something that we all must take to heart. It is a disturbing element, but not something that is foreign to our experience down through the ages. To the Jewish people, war and violence was no stranger to our ancestors or to their progeny to this day.

“Miracles and Fate on 78” is a personal testament to the hell of 9/11 by a prominent member of the South Shore community, Ari Schonbrun. Written from a deeply religious and moral perspective, our neighbor, through this work, brings us close to both his heart and mind as he describes the sounds of terror and abject fear that he lived through that day.

The depth of Ari’s religious beliefs can be best demonstrated in his own words:

“G-d whispers to our souls and speaks to our hearts. The problem is that we are often so busy running through life that we don’t have time to listen. We are too busy with the material world, so we ignore the whispers. It is then that He has to throw a brick at us to wake us up, to tell us that we aren’t doing the right things and that we need to make a change.

“Do you see a theme here? Now, I’ve had a brick thrown at me, so I know. But you. You have a choice. You can listen to the whisper … or you can wait for a brick.”

Ari’s work will make a difference in your life this coming high holiday season.

Contact Alan Jay Gerber: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com