Day of
Remembrance
September 11 has been designated a national day of service and remembrance by the Edward M. Kennedy Service America Act in 2009. Consistent with President Obama’s call to service, Americans are encouraged to pay tribute to those who died in the September 11 attacks by participating in related activities this week.
Service projects include food drives, home repairs, neighborhood cleanups, and disaster preparation activities. Volunteers will honor veterans, soldiers, or first responders by collecting donations, assembling care packages, and writing thank you letters.
There are music, art, faith, and lectures associated with September 11. Historical events include dedicating new memorials. Some of the events will last a minute, some a day, a week, a month — and some are on permanent display.
Stop & Remember, 9/11 National Moment of Remembrance, Sunday, September 11, 1 p.m. To mark the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution calling on all Americans to participate in a Moment of Remembrance at 1 p.m. on September 11, 2011.
Events in West Windsor and Plainsboro include the following:
Commemoration Ceremony, Plainsboro Township, Plainsboro Municipal Complex. Sunday, September 11, 7:30 p.m. Candlelight vigil including township first responders of the fire department, rescue squad, and police department. Featured speakers include township committee members as well as Senator Linda Greenstein. Vocal performances by the High School North Choir and the Princeton Alliance Choir. The vigil will begin at the rescue squad building and proceed down the walking path to the 9/11 memorial located near the municipal building. 609-799-0909.
September 11th Memorial, West Windsor Township, Memorial Twin Ponds, Ron Rogers Arboretum, corner of Route 571 and Clarksville Road, West Windsor. Sunday, September 11, 6 p.m. Memorial ceremony on the 10th anniversary. A steel beam recovered and donated by the Jersey City Fire Department is on site. Seven West Windsor residents died on 9/11. Service presented by various faith communities. Musical performances by West Windsor youth and adults. Free. 609-799-6141.
Photography Exhibit, West Windsor Human Relations Council, West Windsor Municipal Building. Exhibit of photographs by Danny Sze relating to September 11, 2001. On view to September 30. 609-799-2400. www.westwindsornj.org.
Benefit Car Wash, Plainsboro Fire Company, 407 Plainsboro Road. Saturday, September 10, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Benefit for Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund, established in memory of Terry Farrell, a member of Rescue 4/FDNY and chief of the Dix Hills Volunteer Fire Department. Farrell, along with 342 firefighters, died in the World Trade Center attack. The fund assists firefighters and their families with educational, medical, and equipment needs. 609-799-0492. www.plainsborofire.com.
Mass and Dedication of Remembrance Wall, Church of St. David the King, 1 New Village Road, West Windsor. Sunday, September 11, 11:30 a.m. Dedication of September 11 Remembrance Wall in the Small Tower follows Mass. 609-275-7111.
September 11 Discussion, Mercer County Community College, Kelsey Theater, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. Monday, September 12, noon. “Unity Through Diversity” panel presentation features area academic, religious, and policy leaders. 609-278-7137. www.mccc.edu.
Art Exhibit, Art Way Gallery, Princeton Alliance Church, 20 Schalks Crossing Road, Plainsboro. Sunday, September 11, 4 to 6 p.m. Memorial reception for “9/11 Memorial Photographic Exhibit,” celebrates America through photographic images that show how we display the American flag, and how the area around Ground Zero and the Shanksville, Pennsylvania, crash site have changed over time. Live Americana music, refreshments, and meet the artists. Girl Scout Troop 71712 and Boy Scout Troop 43 present the colors for the event. Artists include Valerie Chaucer-Levine, Carl Geisler, and Olga Svibilsky. On view to September 30. 609-734-6546. www.artwaygallery.org.
Author Event, Barnes & Noble, MarketFair, West Windsor. Saturday, September 10, 7 p.m. Michael Benfante, author of “Reluctant Hero: A 9/11 Survivor Speaks Out About that Unthinkable Day.” In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Benfante discusses how he and a co-worker carried a wheelchair-bound woman down 68 flights of stairs to safety. 609-716-1570. www.bn.com.
September 11 Remembrance Ceremony, Mercer County Community College, Memorial Garden, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. Friday, September 9, 11 a.m. Commemoration ceremony will be held in the garden adjacent to the student center. Guest speaker is Dave Smolka, chief of the Hamilton Fire Company, a career captain with the Trenton Fire Department, and a fire instructor at the Mercer County Fire Academy. He was at Ground Zero as a member of the New Jersey State Police urban search and rescue team. Krystina Vazquez, of Ewing, will sing a cappella renditions of the national anthem and “God Bless America.” A memorial wreath will be installed. A fragment of steel beam from the World Trade Center towers will be on display. 609-278-7137. www.mccc.edu.
9/11 Memorial, Mercer County, Mercer County Park, Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. Sunday, September 11, 1 p.m. Dedication of Mercer County’s memorial featuring a 10-foot piece of steel from the World Trade Center. Pete Abrams, an artist and Princeton Borough resident, designed the memorial in collaboration with the Clarke Caton Hintz architectural firm. More than two dozen Mercer County residents lost their lives in the attacks. Many medical personnel, law enforcement officers, and firefighters from the county worked at Ground Zero in the aftermath. 609-278-7137. www.mercercounty.org.
Other events in the area include:
Music
Princeton Brass Band, Westminster Choir College, Luedeke Theater, Rider University, Lawrenceville. Sunday, September 11, 2 p.m. “Reflections on 9/11” concert. Stephen Arthur Allen conducts. Donations accepted. 609-921-2663. www.rider.edu.
We Remember September 11, WPRB Radio, 103.3 FM. Saturday, September 10, 7 p.m. to 7 p.m. September 11. Classical Discoveries with Marvin Rosen presents a 24-hour marathon show devoted to music written by composers from around the world as a reaction to September 11. On air to Sunday, September 11, at 7 p.m. www.wprb.com.
The Orchestra of St. Peter’s by the Sea, Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, 54 Pitman Avenue, Ocean Grove. Saturday, September 10, 8 p.m. “Salute to Civilization.” $20 and $25. 800-590-4094. www.oceangrove.org.
Art
Art Exhibit, Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street. Saturday, September 10, 3 to 5 p.m. Opening reception for “Moment: Memory,” an exhibit of photographs by Jay Plett that record what he found on the streets of Manhattan during the fall of 2001, and “Re: Member.” 609-924-8777. www.artscouncilofprinceton.org.
Remembrance for September 11, Grounds For Sculpture, 18 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton. Sunday, September 11, 11 a.m. Spend the 10th anniversary in quiet contemplation at GFS. Free admission for all fire, police, and emergency medical personnel and their families. Bring a valid ID. 609-586-0616. www.groundsforsculpture.org.
Stars and Stripes: Fabric of the American Spirit, Morven Museum, 55 Stockton Street, Princeton. Saturday and Sunday, September 10 and 11, noon to 4 p.m. Exhibit of 100 flags from the Pierce Collection to American Parade Flags. Free admission in honor of the 10th anniversary of September 11. 609-924-8144. www.morven.org.
Paxson Hill Farm, 3265 Comfort Road, New Hope, PA. “The Nine Eleven Tree” is a memorial sculpture to those who perished at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. When the silver maple that stood nearly 50 feet tall died in 2006, Bruce Gangawer, the owner of the nursery, commissioned Greg Napolitan, an artist from Frenchtown, to give the tree a second lease on life. 33 branches were carved and incorporated into the trunk resembling twisted girders of the World Trade Center. 215-297-1010. www.paxsonhillfarm.com.
Art Exhibit, University of the Arts, 320-333 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA. Friday, September 9, 5 to 8 p.m. Reception for “Opposites Attract,” an exhibit pairing sculptures with practitioners of different disciplines presenting works which relate by offering opposing viewpoints. Works by two Princeton artists are included in the exhibit. Studio tours on Saturday and Sunday, October 1 and 2, noon to 6 p.m. On view to October 13.
New Jersey State Museum, 205 West State Street, Trenton. “Remembering 9/11,” an exhibit revolving around New Jersey’s reflections and responses to 9/11 and includes artifacts conveying the human dimensions and enormity of the attacks complete with oral histories from 9/11 families, survivors, rescue workers, and volunteers. On view to September 30. 609-292-6464. www.newjerseystatemuseum.org.
Memory and the Work of Art, Princeton University, Princeton campus, Lewis Center. Thursday, September 22, 6 p.m. Conversation with artist Christian Boltanski with biography and critic Mark Stevens. Part of the collaborative investigation into the arts and cultural memory on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. 609-258-3788. artmuseum.princeton.edu.
On Stage
“Ten,” Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street. Saturday, September 10, 4:30 p.m. Premiere dramatic reading of a short play by Charles Evered of Princeton. The play, written in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, tells the story of a woman at a train station in suburban New Jersey who is still waiting for her husband to get off the train she put him on 10 years ago. Actors include Wendy Rolfe Evered and Kevin O’Sullivan with stage directions read by Michele Ferentinos. Free. 609-924-8777. www.artscouncilofprinceton.org.
Film
Fall Festival, New Jersey Film Festival, Voorhees Hall #105, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick. Sunday, September 11, 7 p.m. Screening of “From the Ground Up: 10 Years After 9/11,” Beth and George Gage, 2011; and “New York Says Thank You,” Scott Rettberg, 2011. $10. 732-932-8482. www.njfilmfest.com.
Community Commemoration of 9/11, Raritan Valley Community College, Route 28, North Branch. Monday, September 12, noon. Screening of “Rebirth,” a film by Jim Whitaker, chronicles the lives of four people directly affected by 9/11. Panel presention. Free. 908-725-3420. www.rvccarts.edu.
Literati
Author Event, Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Thursday, September 15, 7 p.m. Jennifer Gardner Trulson, author of “Where You Left Me,” a memoir of her experience of losing her husband, a top executive at Cantor Fitzgerald in the World Trade Center attacks, her healing process, and her unexpected journey in finding love again, will be reading, answering questions, and signing books. 609-924-9529. www.princetonlibrary.org.
Good Cause
Greenway Gala, D&R Greenway Land Trust, Johnson Education Center, 1 Preservation Place, Princeton. Sunday, September 11, 4 to 6 p.m. “Celebrate Open Space” with hors d’oeuvres, a cappella music by Jersey Transit, and a silent auction of art. A remembrance of September 11 celebrates the role of nature in healing our world. Register. $100. 609-924-4646. www.drgreenway.org.
Ceremonies
9/11 10th Anniversary Ceremony, Hopewell Valley Veterans Association, Alliger Park, 203 Washington Crossing Pennington Road, Titusville. Saturday, September 10, 11 a.m. www.hopewellvalleyveterans.org.
Candlelight Memorial Service, Monroe Township, Memorial Tree Park, Prospect Plains Road, Monroe. Monday, September 12, 6:30 p.m. Service of prayer, speech, and song presented by vocalists and clergy of all faiths. American flag memorial featuring 2,977 flags in remembrance of those who perished on 9/11/2001 will be on display through September 14. 732-605-9440. www.monroetwp.com.
Dedication of September 11 Memorial, Rocky Hill, Panicaro Park Memorial Garden, Crescent Avenue, Sunday, September 11, 12:55 p.m. In memory of William F. Jallon Jr.
9/11 Memorial Display, New Jersey State House, 125 West State Street, Trenton. Sunday, September 11, 2 to 5 p.m. Unveiling of the exhibit at the rotunda. On view to September, 2012. 609-633-2709. www.nps.gov.
A Patriotic Salute, The Meadows Foundation, Van Liew Suydam Farm, 280 South Middlebush Road, Somerset. Saturday, September 10, 11 a.m. “Ellis Island: Past and Present” presented by John Hnedak, deputy superintendent of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty; lunch; Heritage Harvest Festival at Hageman Farm; meet and greet event with Franklin Township officials; and a Salute to the Fallen Heroes of Franklin Township on 9/11/2001: John Collins, Ganesh Ladkat, and Sheryl Rosenbaum. Register. $15 includes lunch. 732-249-6770. www.themeadowsfoundation.org.
September 11 Commemoration, Historical Society of Princeton, Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road, Princeton. Saturday, September 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guests are encouraged to use the tranquility of the farm for reflection. The poem, “For Our World” by Mattie Stepanek in 2001 will be used as inspiration for journal and poetry writing throughout the day. 609-921-6748. www.princetonhistory.org.
Commemoration Service for 9/11, Princeton University, Campus. Sunday, September 11, 1:30 p.m. Service prior to opening exercises for the Class of 2015. Alumni invited to cheer the incoming class at the annual Pre-rade at 4 p.m. followed by a picnic on Alexander Beach. Register. 609-258-8280. princeton.edu.
Faith
Solidarity Walk of Faith Communities, Covenant Presbyterian Church, 471 Parkway Avenue, Trenton. Saturday, September 10, 4 p.m. Meet at the Islamic Center of Ewing, 685 Parkway Avenue, for a presentation by Imam Bashir on basic principles of Islamic faith. Meet and greet at Calvary Baptist Church. Potluck supper at Covenant. Bring a dish for eight (no pork). No shorts or low-cut dresses. 609-989-8282. www.covenantchurchtrenton.org.
Interfaith Service of Reflection, Covenant Presbyterian Church, State Museum, West State Street, Trenton. Sunday, September 11, 2:30 p.m. E-mail George Self at george.self@comcast.net for information. 609-989-8282. www.covenantchurchtrenton.org.
Congressman Rush Holt, Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street, Princeton. Sunday, September 11, 9:15 a.m. Reflections on the 10 years since 9/11 from his perspective as a person of faith in public life. 609-924-0103. www.nassauchurch.org.
9/11 Remembrance Service, Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, 54 Pitman Avenue, Ocean Grove. Sunday, September 11, 7:30 p.m. Commemorative service to remember the 700 New Jerseyans who lost their lives that day and heroic efforts of responders and their families. Music, prayer, clergy, police, fire, EMT personnel, and musicians. Participants include Reverend Dan Schafer, Ground Zero chaplain; Reverend Deforest Soaries, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Lincoln Gardens and former NJ Secretary of State; Father Donald Hummel, chaplain of the NJ State Association of Chiefs of Police; Reverence Scott Hoffman, Ocean Grover Camp Meeting Association; and others. Free. 800-590-4094. www.oceangrove.org.
September 11: A Decade of Remembrance, Princeton Area, Princeton University Chapel. Sunday, September 11, 7 p.m. Interfaith service to commemorate the 10th anniversary of September 11.
We Shall Remember, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 801 West State Street, Trenton. Sunday, September 11, 10 a.m. Service honors those who died in the events of September 11, 2011. 609-392-3805.
9/11 Press Conference, Why Islam Center, 1320 Hamilton Street, Somerset. Thursday, September 8, 6 to 8 p.m. The Islamic Circle of North America presents leaders of the Muslim community to share the Muslim perspective on the 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Q&A session to focus on how Muslims and non-Muslims can work together to better serve American society. 877-whyislam. www.whyislam.org.
Meet Me at the Farmstead Series, Historical Society of Princeton, Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road, Princeton. Wednesday, September 21, 1 p.m. Sheri Burkat, program director at Voices of September 11th, speaks about the 9/11 Memorial Project, an online digital archive that commemorates the nearly 3,000 lives lost and documents firsthand accounts of rescue workers and survivors. $5. 609-921-6748. www.princetonhistory.org.
Interfaith Service, Princeton Clergy Association, Princeton University Chapel. Sunday, September 11, 7 p.m. “Living Between Memory and Hope” to commemorate the 10th anniversary of September 11. The service is appropriate for families with children. A prayer time includes the opportunity for participants to offer the names of family, friends, or colleagues who died on that day.
Afternoon of Reflection, United Mercer Interfaith Organization, NJ State House and NJ State Museum, West State Street, Trenton. Sunday, September 11, 2:30 to 4 p.m. Prayers led by Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders on the State House steps. The program continues with children born in September, 2001, sharing their hopes for the future. Rabbi Donna Kirshbaum of Congregation String of Pearls is the committee chair. Free parking behind the museum at 205 West State Street. Admission is free. www.stringofpearlsweb.org.
Lectures
September 11 Discussion, Mercer County Community College, Keraney Hall, North Broad and Academy streets, Trenton. Wednesday, September 14, 6:30 p.m. “Unity Through Diversity” panel presentation features area academic, religious, and policy leaders. 609-278-7137. www.mccc.edu.
Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University, Bloustein School, Rutgers, 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. Monday, September 12, 4 p.m. “Ground Zero Ten Years Later: What Have We Wrought?” presented by Paul Goldberger, architecture critic for The New Yorker and author of “Why Architecture Matters,” “Building Up and Tearing Down,” and “Up From Zero: Politics, Architecture,” and “The Rebuilding of New York.” Introduction by Angus K. Gillespie, professor of American studies, Rutgers, and author of “Twin Towers: The Life of New York City’s Trade Center.” Register by E-mail to Amy Cobb at cobba@rutgers.edu. 732-932-5475. policy.rutgers.edu.
