9/11 + 25

By RABBI JOSEPH H. PROUSER

The Eve of Rosh Hashanah falling on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on America represents a stirring confluence of events. What special meaning should we embrace as we begin the Days of Awe on this historic milestone?

Rosh Hashanah is known as “Yom Ha-Zikaron” – the Day of Remembrance. This Rosh Hashanah, we remember all who lost their lives 25 years ago: innocent victims and selfless first responders alike. We remember those who lost their lives in the long aftermath of the attacks, due to illness or injury. We remember those who lost loved ones on that fateful day – for whom 9/11 remains a defining reality of life.

Rosh Hashanah inaugurates the Ten Days of Repentance, demanding of us each a probing process of introspection, and proactive steps toward a more thoughtful, more humane, more sanctified future. On this historic day for the nation, we unflinchingly confront our personal history – and our personal responsibilities. In contemplating both our national losses and our personal failings, let us recall poet Maya Angelou’s wise counsel:

“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”

Today demands fortitude. As Dante Alighieri wrote:

“Be as a tower firmly set; Shakes not its top for any blast that blows.”

Rabbi Joseph H. Prouser is the editor of “Masorti: The New Journal of Conservative Judaism.” The latest edition of Masorti published in the summer of 2026 and honors the American Sestercentennial. A subscription is $18 per annum. Print copies are available from Ben Yehuda Press and Amazon.