Against the backdrop of the second year following the tragedy of Oct. 7, and as the world commemorated the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), Jewish National Fund-USA (JNF-USA), and the Embassy of the United States of America in Israel came together for their annual memorial ceremony at the Arazim Valley Memorial in Jerusalem to honor the victims of those tragic events.
The 9/11 Living Memorial Monument stands out as the only memorial site outside the United States to feature the names of all the Sept. 11 victims. This unique monument embodies the enduring and strong Israeli American relationship, grounded in shared democratic values, peace, and a united front against terrorism.
The ceremony was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee; world chairwoman of KKL-JNF Ifat Ovadia-Luski; president of Jewish National Fund-USA Deb Lust Zaluda; chief of staff Jewish National Fund-USA in Israel Talia Tzour Avner; national security adviser at the Major Cities Chief Association and former chief of intelligence and counterterrorism at the New York City Police Department Thomas Galati, who was with the NYPD during Sept. 11; Commissioner of the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority Eyal Caspi; Commander of the Southern District Fire Department Itzik Oz; U.S. Military Attaché Col. Philip Messer; and other distinguished guests.
Also present were Yehudit Levinhar, who lost her son Shai in the Sept. 11 attacks and Hamas captivity survivor Dafna Elyakim, who expressed solidarity with the pain of the victims’ families and honored the occasion by singing alongside Yonatan Artzi, son of Israeli singer Shlomo Artzi, and Adi Yehuda, a soldier from the “Special in Uniform” project.
During the ceremony, representatives from various organizations and agencies laid wreaths in memory of the victims of the disaster, accompanied by U.S. Marines and Israeli firefighters.
The 9/11 Living Memorial was first established in 2009 by KKL-JNF and Jewish National Fund-USA. The impressive, 30-foot-high bronze sculpture was created by the Israeli artist Eliezer Weishoff and KKL-JNF’s landscape architect Yechiel Cohen. It portrays the American flag folded into the shape of a memorial flame. A metal shard from the ruins of the Twin Towers is incorporated into the base of the monument, which overlooks a magnificent vista of the Jerusalem Hills and the Arazim Valley.
Ifat Ovadia-Luski, world chairwoman of KKL-JNF: “The Sept. 11 attacks were not only an assault on the United States, but on the entire free world, and a reminder that the fight against terrorism is a one we share. Throughout the history of the State of Israel, and even more so since Oct. 7, we have faced the same enemy, with the United States standing courageously and resolutely alongside us, including in its significant efforts against Iran and its proxies. This unique memorial site in the Jerusalem hills stands as a symbol of our deep friendship, grounded in values of freedom and hope.”
Deb Lust Zaluda, president of Jewish National Fund-USA: “Memorials matter, but memory alone is not enough. What we build, what we plant, the actions we take every day in how we live, that is how we honor the fallen. The difference between us and those who bring terror is clear: they choose destruction; we choose life. They are harbingers of fear; we are architects of hope. They glorify death; we sanctify the living. That is the bond between the United States and Israel, and it is what makes us strong together. So today, as we mourn, we also resolve. To carry forward the light of memory. To live as free people who refuse to yield. And to teach future generations that the power of life, compassion and resilience will always outshine the darkness of terror.”
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee: “September 11, 2001, is a date indelibly etched into our minds. Another such date is Oct. 7, 2023. As we are approaching Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, let us pray that we will never know another Sept. 11 or an Oct. 7, that Hamas and other terrorist organizations will be vanquished, and that all the hostages will be released.”
