In commemoration of the 16th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Samuel Benson, a first responder in the New York City Office of Emergency Management, addressed Ma’ayanot students and described his first-hand account of that fateful day. Benson worked across the street from the World Trade Center and survived the collapse of the towers by escaping into a nearby restaurant. Over the next several months, he worked in casualty and fatality management. He told the students, “You can focus on the horror and devastation or you can think about love, friendship and survival…We remember the losses, but we can also focus on how we worked together and the lifelong bond that we share.” During lunch, students decorated cookies and cupcakes baked by the chesed committee for first responders. Then, with students from the Sinai School, they delivered them to the Teaneck Fire Station Headquarters on Teaneck Road to thank the firefighters for their service.