Yesterday I saw the movie “World Trade Center” directed by Oliver Stone. I highly recommend it. It literally moved me to tears. For those who don’t know it is a movie focusing not so much an the tragedy of day, although that was the backdrop, but on the survival and heroism of certain indivduals involved in rescue missions… the so called "first responders". Without getting into the details of the movie, suffice it to say that it was one of the most inspiring movies I have ever seen. And the movie reminded me what we are fighting in Iraq. No matter what your feelings about the wisdom of our involvement there is, there can be no doubt about what we are fighting. And the movie does a good job reminding us of it.
As I said, 9/11 was the backdrop. But the story was a showcase about the American spirit. Watching this movie, I could not help but think that these people clearly Christian, were Americans. And that I was an American. And that bond is unshakable. There was no us and them. No Christian and Jew. No Blacks. No Whites. Just Americans. The movie truly brought me to tears as I realized that the American people are truly a great people. The phrase “Medina Shel Chesed” is a deserved appellation. When the chips are down there is no one you want involved more, than the American hero. It does not matter what ethnicity. It does not matter what race. It does not matter what side of the political fence one is on. And it does not matter what religion one is. None of these matter in this “nation of immigrants”. What matters is that we are all Americans. And that is what I felt watching this movie.
Of course there are plenty of selfish people here in this great nation. We do have our faults. And there are plenty of criminals, racists, bigots, and the morally depraved. But they do not represent the character of this country. It was the heroes of 9/11 that do. And the specific heroes of this movie were not unique. Many other “first responders” from other cities drove cross country to help, putting their own lives at risk in order to help find and save their fellow Americans… offering to do what ever was needed of them. So indeed, I never felt more like an American… a part of this people… than I did on that day. And this movie reminded me of that.
And that brings me to the following point. I remember hearing that Rav Matisyahu Salomon had criticized those who were riveted to their TV screens that day… as I was. He was speaking to the Bnei Torah. He said something to this effect: “Alright… it’s a tragedy. But, how much do we have to watch? How many times do we have to see those buildings fall down?” …as television news kept showing it again and again. “Enough already.” “At this pint it’s Battalah.” “Go back to the Beis Hamedrash!”
I remember being both saddened and angry by those comments. I do not recall any other rabbinic leader in this country making similar comments. Upon reflection, I really think it is because Rav Salomon is not an American that he felt that way. He does not know or appreciate the American people. This is not a criticism of him, just an observation about how this event impacted American rabbinic leaders versus how it impacted foreign rabbinic leaders, which Rav Salomon still was... having arrived recently from England at that time.
By contrast, back when I was in high school and JFK was assassinated, TV screens were brought onto the HTC campus (if I recall correctly into the dining room) for the entire event until after the state funeral. My rebbe at the time, Rabbi Yaakov Perlow, was clearly moved when he spoke about it. Never once do I recall him saying "enough already!" or words to that effect. I do remember, however being told by him on Sunday morning when I walked into the Beis Hamedrash that Jack Ruby had just killed Lee Harvey Oswald, JFK’s assassin. This is how an Amercian rabbinic leader reacts. When an American tragedy strikes we are all Americans. And that is a real tribute to this country.
