A day of remembrance

April Samuelson

Hillel uses candles, cards to commemorate five-year anniversary of Sept. 11 attacks

Hillel members Benjamin Fogel, senior chemistry major, and Sara Hochberg present a passerby with free buttons and cards. Hillel passed out the buttons that said, “NEVER 9/11 AGAIN!” and cards to students yesterday in Risman Plaza. LESLIE CUSANO | DAILY KE

Credit: John Proppe

Just a tent and a couple tables made up Hillel’s memorial for Sept. 11.

The table had candles for mourners to light.

It was just the reading of some names with music in the background.

But Abe’s Cafe, a monthly outreach of Hillel, brought several students to the steps of Risman Plaza yesterday to sit, reflect and remember.

“This is called Abe’s Cafe, but it was brought here because the campus wasn’t planning on doing anything this year; so Hillel took it upon themselves to memorialize it by reading a list of names,” said Benjamin Fogel, Hillel grinspon intern and senior chemistry major. “I think it’s awesome. Unless you do things like this, people forget. It’s important to do something because it did happen.”

Students and Hillel staff read names of victims of Sept. 11 while members of Hillel handed out “NEVER 9/11 AGAIN!” buttons and memory flyers.

“It hits home to a lot of people, and it brings people together,” said Shyanne Swigert, sophomore sports management major. “I don’t have any family or anyone involved, but I definitely support it. I feel for all of the other families who have been through it.”

Abe’s Cafe helped freshman Lindsay Davis remember the impact of Sept. 11.

“You know it’s a tragic event,” Davis said. “You know a lot of people died, but when they read the names it makes people really remember.”

Executive Director Jennifer Chestnut said Hillel wanted to give students a physical place to come together as a community and reflect.

“I think it’s part of Jewish tradition to take care of the mourner, so we wanted to give students a place to remember and talk about the who, the what, and the when,” Chestnut said.

Assistant Director Michael Levinstein said the students and Hillel staff read about 2,900 names to remember the victims and reflect on their own lives.

Sara Hochberg, senior psychology major and Hillel fellow, said she participated in Abe’s Cafe because she lived in New York and had a connection to some people touched by the events of Sept. 11.

“I think it’s a great idea to get awareness out,” Hochberg said. “It does touch a lot of people’s hearts when people remember by wearing buttons and reading names. I think it’s important, not only for remembering what happened, but for living our own lives.”

Contact religion reporter April Samuelson at [email protected].