62 | SEPTEMBER 9 • 2021
Looking Back
From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History
accessible at www.djnfoundation.org
Remembering 9-11
T
his week, I do not
believe I could write
about any historic event
other than the terrorism that
occurred two decades ago on
Sept. 11, 2001. Images of ter-
rorist-comman-
deered airliners
crashing into the
twin towers of
the World Trade
Center in New
York City are
seared into the
memories of all
but the youngest of us alive at
the time. It was one of those
monumental events that we
can recall with precision just
where we were when we heard
or watched the news, and the
emotions we felt.
Nearly 3,000 Americans died
from this terrorism. Moreover,
when considering the exposure
of so many people to the result-
ing toxic storm of debris, still
more deaths related to 9-11 are
occurring today; among survi-
vors of the initial devastation
and among first responders
who selflessly went into the fray.
The impact upon Metro
Detroiters and Michiganders
was profound. One only needs
to read the September and
October 2001 issues of the
JN in the William Davidson
Digital Archive of Jewish
Detroit History to know that
this is not an overstatement.
Begin with the thoughtful
essays by JN Editor Robert
Sklar: “
Answering the Madness”
(Sept. 14, 2001) and “Rallying
Together” (Sept. 21, 2001). Or
read “Local Reaction” (Sept. 14,
2001), which presents the feel-
ings of local Jewish Detroiters
including reactions from
young Jews like 11th-grader
Adam Horowitz who said he
cried when he saw the World
Trade Center towers collapse:
“I realize how fortunate we are
to be safe here [in Detroit].
”
Ilana Goldberg, also in the
11th grade, said, “This was just
shocking for our generation.
”
Indeed, it was.
Jewish Detroiters soon ral-
lied. For example, “Lending
Helping Hands” by Ronelle
Grier discusses local area pro-
fessionals who rushed to New
York City. Oakland County
Sheriff Michael Bouchard and
a team of deputies did so; their
pilot was Stuart Rich. Social
worker Kay Tulupman helped
survivors cope with the trau-
ma. Adam Gottlieb, Richard
Lavine and Alan Jacobson were
among the emergency workers
who answered the call for help.
These are just a few of the many
that made the trip to NYC.
Other reports note the funds
raised for the victims by the
community. Advertisements in
the JN show special events were
held and businesses donated
profits. Danny Raskin wrote
about donations from kosher
caterer Jeffrey Rosenberg,
the MarioMax Salon and the
Kosher Chinese All-You-Can
Eat Dinner at Adat Shalom,
among others. He concluded:
“How very proud we all are
of these and so many others
in coming forth in the recent
tragedies is far, far beyond any
word” (Oct. 5, 2001).
One of the most interesting
stories is “Mission of Emotion”
(Sept. 21, 2001) by JN Staff
writer Harry Kirsbaum, who
was on assignment in Israel
with a group of 81 Detroiters on
a United Jewish Communities
Mission. When the twin
towers fell, all flights to the
U.S. were canceled, and the
group was temporarily strand-
ed. They watched the event
unfold with their Israeli hosts.
Senior Advisor to the Board
of the Detroit Jewish News
Foundation, Mark Davidoff,
who was on the mission, said
of the Israelis and Detroiters:
“You could see how the group
was coalescing around our own
tragedy.
” You can read their
remembrances in today’s JN on
page 14.
9-11 was a historic American
tragedy. May we never see
another.
Want to learn more? Go to the DJN
Foundation archives, available for
free at www.djnfoundation.org.
Mike Smith
Alene and
Graham Landau
Archivist Chair