With the approach of September 11, the Moriah Middle School gathered in the Bet Knesset to hear from Moriah parent Mr. Josh Lazarus, who was working in Tower I of the World Trade Center on that fateful day 15 years ago. Mr. Lazarus recounted for the spellbound students the details of his experiences from the moment the first plane hit Tower I to his arrival several hours later in a family member’s apartment on the Upper East Side.

In a manner so very appropriate for middle-school students, Mr. Lazarus conveyed the drama and horror of the day but left the students with a message of hope and inspiration. In his concluding remarks, Mr. Lazarus told the students that the terrorists, whose intention was to destroy the moral fabric of our society, in actuality accomplished the opposite. Mr. Lazarus’ story was one of camaraderie among friends, coworkers and strangers, of helpfulness and unity of purpose, of self-sacrifice and concern. He described shopkeepers who emptied their shelves of water for those who were thirsty, storekeepers who offered shoes to those who were barefoot and countless individuals who invited survivors into their apartments to shower and rest. While emphasizing that this should never happen again, Mr. Lazarus presented a story of goodness triumphing over evil in the most profound way.

By JLNJ Staff