Rabbi's Life Touched In Many Ways By 9/11

Rabbi Robert B. Lennick and his family lived in Greenwich, CT, when terrorists attacked the country on Sept. 11, 2001.

He was affiliated with a synagogue and served on a Red Cross disaster team. He also was president of Religion in American Life, an interfaith group that looked to promote religious tolerance.

Lennick, who now resides in South Whitehall, heard accusations against Muslims, which motivated him to call the general secretary of the Islamic Society of North America.

“It was one of the saddest conversations I’ve ever had with a colleague,” said Lennick, adding that the man had a great fear for the Muslim community.

In an interview this week in his office at Congregation Keneseth Israel in Allentown, Lennick recalled that Greenwich had been hit hard by the terrorist attacks because of its proximity to New York City. He was aware of many residents who had worked in the city and he officiated at some funerals.

People used to be able to walk out to Greenwich Point, which juts out into Long Island Sound, and see the Twin Towers on a clear day. But on that first day after the attack, he said, “We could see the smoke rising, and the buildings were gone.”

When comforting those who grieved their losses, Lennick said, he realized it was important “to be there with them, to be present rather than speak platitudes and try to explain what can’t be explained.”

Lennick offered to help at Ground Zero in the initial days following the attack. But he was turned away because there already were so many others helping at the site.

Eventually, he returned and talked to rescue workers. They told him, “This is what I do. I wouldn’t be anywhere else. Every one of my comrades who died was a hero.”

Prayer vigils were held in Greenwich, Lennick said, and they were a powerful experience, drawing people from different religions and walks of life.

“There was a sense of a pure spiritual community, unfettered by differences,” he said. “We can come together across all perceived boundaries and realize we are a resilient nation made up of resilient people.

“The well of strength and hope is deeper than we had imagined.”

Now, he said, it is important to focus on living well.

“The terrorists did not win because we are more empathetic and more aware of how precious life is every day,” Lennick said.

“We never can answer the question, ‘Why?’ But we can decide how to live.”