Jewish Heritage Museum To Mark Sept. 11

MY9TV.com - Marking the 10th anniversary of the tragedy at the World Trade Center site in memory of those who were lost, the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust invites visitors to its intimate Rotunda Gallery for Yahrzeit: September 11th Remembered, a special contemplative space for sitting, reading, and reflecting. Yahrzeit will be open to the public on August 28 and will feature documents, photos, and quotes from those who were affected by the tragedy including Museum staff and volunteers who witnessed the events, as well as clergy and volunteers who searched for meaning and ways to provide comfort. It will focus on the response of the Jewish community and other New Yorkers who came together to help their neighbors. The words, photographs, and quotations on display symbolize how life goes on, even after tragedy.

Also, on September 7 at 7 p.m., the Museum will present psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Goren, author of Beyond the Reach of the Ladders, and neuroscientist Dr. Rachel Yehuda, director of the Traumatic Stress Studies Division of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, for a free discussion about post-traumatic stress disorder, the Holocaust, and September 11th entitled Trauma’s Afterlife: Remembering 9/11. Elizabeth Goren, Ph.D., is a member of the faculty at New York University’s Postdoctoral Program in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, and also in private practice in New York City. Her newly released book explores the work she did with firefighters in the wake of 9/11. Rachel Yehuda, PhD, studies risk and resilience factors, psychological and biological predictors of treatment response in PTSD, genetic, and epigenetic studies of PTSD, and the intergenerational transmission of trauma and PTSD.

Museum Director Dr. David G. Marwell said, “September 11, 2001 made us witnesses and mourners. Jewish custom calls for reflection on the anniversary of a death. In that spirit, our Museum honors the yahrzeit—the anniversary—of the losses sustained. Our proximity to the site of the tragedy, our identity as a downtown cultural institution, and our mission of remembrance compel us to reflect on this past decade and remember with the community and our neighbors.”

Museum admission is free with suggested donation on September 11th.

About the Museum of Jewish Heritage
The Museum’s exhibitions educate people of all ages and backgrounds on the rich tapestry of Jewish life over the past century—before, during, and after the Holocaust. Current special exhibitions include The Morgenthaus: A Legacy of Service, on view through September 5, 2011. Upcoming exhibitions include: Yahrzeit: September 11 Remembered, opening August 28; Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race, opening September 15; and Emma Lazarus: Poet of Exiles, opening October 26. It is also home to the award-winning Keeping History Center, an interactive visitor experience, and Andy Goldsworthy’s memorial Garden of Stones. The Museum offers visitors a vibrant public program schedule in its Edmond J. Safra Hall and receives general operating support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.