A 9/11 Tribute
While free is always timely, the free DVD from the Department of Labor, “Up From Zero” is particularly timely. It's a documentary film that pays tribute to the brave men and women of the New York City building trades who put themselves on the line on September 11, 2001 – and for nine months afterward – to reclaim Ground Zero.
I sent an email around my office with this link, and have gotten very positive feedback. While 9/11 has been largely out of the news, is suddenly back in force as the anniversary approaches. One co-worked commented that she, among many others, found this anniversary much more difficult than the last. My hypothesis is that after 9/11, things never really calmed down much until that first anniversary. In many ways, 9/11 and the aftermath paralleled the Jewish morning ritual rather closely.
In this metaphoric sense, 9/11 was the death/funeral, and the days of chaos (and commercial-free coverage) that followed was shiva. The year that followed was one of mourning, capped off by the anniversary, or yahrtzeit. After that first year was over, people moved on. It was not until the second yahrtzeit rolled around the corner that the memories were revived, and the pain returned.