PEPPER PIKE, Ohio — People of different ages, faiths, and even countries came together in Northeast Ohio on Sunday to commemorate September 11, 2001, and the terrorist attacks that devastated the nation and killed nearly 3,000 people.
At Park Synagogue in Pepper Pike, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland brought together visiting young professionals from Israel as well as local Jewish teens to have a conversation about September 11.
Judge Dan Polster, U.S District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio, led the discussion, to ensure members of younger generations who weren't born yet, understand the significance and impact of the day.
"You cannot understand anything about the world today if you don't understand 9/11, what happened that day, and most significantly, the aftermath," Polster said.
Polster said it is important not to live in fear, but also, to never forget.
Revava Greenblatt, visiting Cleveland from Israel, remembers 9/11 well. She was at a wedding in Israel, and said the guests, many of whom had family in New York, were all talking about the attacks.
She also said it was interesting hearing more about the attacks from the American perspective, and said she was glad that teens and kids were hearing more about it.
"Hearing about something that happened before you were born, it's new and it's interesting, but it's super important," she said.
At St. Colette Catholic Church in Brunswick, people gathered for a 9/11 service, as they've been doing for over a decade. Photos of military personnel who lost their lives were displayed, and first responders walked down the aisle of the church, led by bagpipes.
"It needs to be talked about, because we've always promised we will never forget," said assistant chief William Gorey with the Cleveland Fire Department. "So I hope everyone that's here can take that back to their kids, their grandkids who didn't experience that, and know that's part of our history and who we are today."
More Headlines Remembering 9/11: