Museum of Jewish Heritage Hosts 9-11 Exhibit

According to Jewish tradition, the anniversary of a death is a day of reflection to remember what was lost.  The observance of this day is called yahrzeit.  On the first anniversary of the September 11 disaster, cultural anthropologist and Lower Manhattan resident Dr. Jill Vexler urges all New Yorkers to set aside some time for reflecting on the events of the past year and looking toward the future.

"The events of September 11, 2002 are for looking at what we've lost, how we survived that day and how we will move forward," says Vexler, who is currently the guest curator of a special exhibit created to help people of all races, religions and ethnicities reflect on the day of tragedy.  "Yahrzeit: September 11 Observed" is on display until January 5, 2003 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust.

The exhibit examines how Jewish ritual, communal and neighborhood organizations, and individual social response helped the City through the tragedy and the recovery. It includes harrowing individual stories of September 11 escapes, and the ensuing efforts to rebuild the fragile emotional and mental health of many New Yorkers.  Also included are examinations of the rituals and laws dealing with death and artifacts that help keep Jewish faith intact in times of turmoil.

For example, one of the items on display is a Book of Psalms used by hundreds of volunteers who camped outside the Medical Examiner's office and, in accordance with the Jewish tradition shmira, kept watch over the dead as bodies were brought in day and night for months on end.  Through these and other ways, the exhibit demonstrates how people and organizations addressed September 11 and its aftermath.

"In the course of doing this research, I realized that the eagerness of absolutely everyone to talk about the events of September 11 was similar to the outpouring of generosity that the whole city felt on September 11," says Vexler.  "One of the women I interviewed for the exhibit lives in Battery Park City. She was the manager of two Gap stores, one in the World Trade Center and one in the World Financial Center. After September 11, she never wanted to work or live downtown again. And yet, the longer she stayed, the more she saw the energy of Lower Manhattan that was so special to her and her family.  Not only did she and her family renew their lease, they are now looking to buy."

Among the objects featured in Yahrzeit are the ceremonial helmet given to the family of Rescue One Firefighter David Martin Weiss at his funeral, and a scrapbook created on September 11 by his son, Michael, before he knew his father's fate.  Other objects range from a breathing mask handed to a young woman as she was about to leave her office building, to a handmade doll sent from Maine to provide comfort in the "Kid's Corner" of the Family Assistance Center at the Lexington Avenue Armory. 

"Just as the Museum's core exhibition focuses on the 20th century Jewish experience before, during and after the Holocaust, illustrating the extraordinary situations of humans facing peril, objects in this exhibition depict the human faces of tragedy and strength," said David Marwell, Director. "The Museum's proximity to the site of the September 11 tragedy, its identity as a downtown cultural institution and its mission of remembrance compel us to reflect and remember with the community and our neighbors."

The Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is a relatively new addition to the downtown landscape. Built on landfill created by the material excavated during the construction of the World Trade Center, the museum opened to the public in 1997.

"Yahrzeit: September 11 Observed" will be open from August 29, 2002 through January 5, 2003.  Call (212) 509-6130 for more information or view an exhibition preview online.  Admission is $7 for adults; $5 for seniors and students.