Remembering September 11

“A Prayer for the World” by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner

On September 11, the Chatham Hall community gathered for a Service of Remembrance to honor the lives lost, the people who responded with courage and compassion, and the many lives forever changed by the events of September 11, 2001.

Throughout the day, Chatham Hall displayed the 9/11 Memorial & Museum Digital Learning Experience Archives on campus monitors, giving students an opportunity to learn through personal stories and firsthand accounts. During Chapel, students heard stories both personal and retold, creating space to remember, listen, reflect, and consider how we carry the lessons of this day forward.

Our E Period Foundations of U.S. History class, with the guidance of Mr. John Kingery, helped plan and organize the Service of Remembrance. Their thoughtful work invited our community not only to learn about what happened on September 11, but to consider the people behind the history and the choices they made in moments of extraordinary uncertainty. The service included stories of courage and compassion from people whose actions made a lasting difference.

Students learned about Brian Clark, who stopped to help Stanley Praimnath escape the South Tower after hearing him call for help. His decision to notice someone in need and act became a powerful reminder that we encounter people every day who may need our patience, forgiveness, encouragement, or simply someone willing to see them.

They heard the story of Betty Ong, the American Airlines flight attendant who remained calm and focused during the hijacking of Flight 11 and used her voice to alert authorities and provide critical information. Her story invited students to consider where they find a sense of calm when they are afraid, uncertain, or under pressure, and how that calm can help the people around them.

The story of Welles Crowther, remembered as the “Man in the Red Bandanna,” offered another example of selflessness. Crowther repeatedly returned to help others escape the South Tower, ultimately saving as many as 18 people before losing his own life. Students were asked to consider how they hope to be remembered and what qualities they want to define the lives they are building.

The story of the passengers and crew of United Flight 93 offered a powerful reflection on community. Faced with an unimaginable situation, people who had never met made the critical decision to act together. Their story reminded us that courage in the face of fear can be more easily found if we work together. 

Finally, our community learned about the people of Gander, Newfoundland, who welcomed more than 6,600 passengers and crew members stranded in their community after the United States and Canada closed their airspace. Residents opened their homes and their hearts to complete strangers, providing food, shelter, fellowship, and care for six consecutive days. Their story is one of radical hospitality and a reminder that welcoming others is also an act of courage.

Throughout the service, moments of silence and small-group discussion gave students space to reflect on the stories they heard. At 9:37 a.m., a bell rang in recognition of the attack on the Pentagon, joining Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Chatham Hall, and organizations around the world in pausing to remember.

While September 11 happened before many of our students were born, remembrance does not require personal memory. It asks us to listen to those who do remember, to learn from the stories of those whose lives were changed, and to consider what these stories ask of us today. 

As we remember September 11, we carry forward more than the history of what happened. We carry the stories of people who chose courage, compassion, community, and radical hospitality in moments when the world seemed to collapse in tragedy. And we are reminded that each of us has the opportunity, every day, to notice one another, care for one another, and choose how we will show up for our community and our world.