MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — South Florida communities marked the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks Friday with solemn ceremonies honoring the nearly 3,000 people killed and remembering the first responders who ran toward danger as others fled.
Memorial events from Miramar to Miami brought together first responders, community members and local leaders to reflect on the attacks and the lasting impact on those who served at Ground Zero.
“Terror brought down buildings, but it did not bring down this nation,” Rabbi Mark Rosenberg, chief chaplain for the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and a chaplain with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, said during one ceremony.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah remembered the firefighters and other first responders who rushed into the burning towers.
“(They) saw the explosions, saw the flames and ran towards them,” Jadallah said.
The effects of that service continue to be felt 25 years later. Many first responders and survivors have suffered illnesses linked to exposure to toxic dust and ash following the attacks.
Among them is retired Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Division Chief Robert Suarez, who retired in October 2007 after a career that included serving as a rescue specialist with Florida Task Force 1 at Ground Zero.
Suarez received a standing ovation during the ceremony as officials recognized his service.
“(It was) terrible, the loss of life, innocent people,” Suarez said. “2,977 people died that day. It was an honor to be there to help.”
For Rosenberg, the anniversary is also personal.
He was in lower Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001, shortly before the second World Trade Center tower collapsed. Rosenberg recalled running with a group of people toward the river as the building came down.
“There was so much confusion going on, yet everybody ran to help others,” Rosenberg said.
He recalled returning toward the disaster site and joining a human bucket search, an effort in which people passed debris hand to hand in the search for survivors.
“That just happened on its own — people as human beings, our instincts, to just do what we can to help,” Rosenberg said.
This year’s anniversary also coincides with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which begins Thursday evening. Rosenberg said the overlap adds another layer of reflection to an already emotional day.
“For those who celebrate Rosh Hashanah, we are going into a new year that requires us to reflect on what happened in the past and how we can do better moving forward,” he said. “So definitely a day mixed with emotions.”
For younger generations who did not experience the attacks firsthand, Rosenberg and Suarez said the hope is that the tragedy remains a lesson rather than something that must be experienced again.
“May God bless you that you never experience what we experienced,” Rosenberg said.
Suarez compared the remembrance of 9/11 to Pearl Harbor, noting that generations can honor events they did not personally witness.
“You never forget Pearl Harbor, and we were not even around for it,” he said.
His message for those reflecting on the anniversary was simple: “Love each other. Life is short. Don’t wait for tomorrow, because tomorrow might not come.”
Rosenberg said the events of Sept. 11 demonstrated how quickly life can change — and how people can respond in moments of unimaginable tragedy.
“Because in one moment, everything changes,” he said. “Don’t take anything for granted.”
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