South Orange Marks 9/11 Today

The South Orange Public Library and South Orange Village, in partnership with SOPAC and Seton Hall University are working together to create 10 special events throughout the Village in order to commemorate, 10 years later, the events and effects of September 11, 2001.  There will be opportunities for reflection and discussion, individual thoughts and the solace of community, for memories and moving forward together.

The Village of South Orange, Seton Hall University, the South Orange Performing Arts Center, and the South Orange Public Library have created opportunities and places for reflection and commemoration during the ten years that followed September 11, 2001, from the creation and dedication of the Christopher Faughnan Memorial and playground at New Waterlands Field to the library’s annual programming.  

In 2004, the South Orange Public Library stayed open for 24 hours while conducting Business as Usual; other commemorations have focused on Stories: People helping people,Healing, Honoring Differences , and Preserving Memories. Some of thelibrary’s September 11 photos can be seen online

In a community, big ideas - freedom of information, the right to read, the foundations of democracy - matter;  in a community, small actions - savoring an idea, volunteering to help one person learn, stumbling into a serendipitous conversation - matter.  The South Orange Public Library and South Orange Village, in partnership with SOPAC andSeton Hall University created the 10 special community events throughout the Village in order to remember those things, large and small, that matter.

Ten events – South Orange Community Commemoration of September 11

Ten events throughout the Village of South Orange will commemorate, ten years later, the events and effects of September 11, 2001.  Events will be held on or around September 11 and will include the following:

Thursday September 8

10 am at the South Orange Public Library – Performance of classic American songs by Good Tymes String Band

7:30 pm at the South Orange Public Library – Poetry Jam around the theme of  tolerance, for teens and adults

Sunday September 11  

Bells and sirens will sound at the following times on Sunday, marking the following events:

• 8:46am - First Bell: Flight 11 crashes into WTC 1
• 9:02am - Second Bell: Flight 175 crashes into WTC 2
• 9:37am - Third Bell: Flight 77 crashes into Pentagon
• 9:59am - Fourth Bell: WTC 2 begins to collapse
• 10:03am - Fifth Bell: UA Flight 93 crashes, Somerset County, Pennsylvania
• 10:28am - Sixth Bell: WTC 1 begins to collapse

In addition, these events will take place:

8:30 am at Christopher Faughnan Memorial at New Waterlands Field  - Commemoration & prayer-

In Memoriam

9:58am at South Orange Fire Department, Ceremony at the SO firehouse

Noon-6 pm at SOPAC – Commemoration in film

1 - National Moment of Remembrance will be observed throughout the Village

At the South Orange Public Library:

2 pm  - Children’s Story time celebrating everyday heroes 

2:30 pm– Solos performed by members of the Youth Orchestras of Essex County

3:30 pm– New Jersey Assemblywoman Mila Jasey speaking on Communities

Candlelight Vigil at SOPAC circle

6:15 pm Musical Interlude with special guests

7  Program with Village President and trustees, clergy, guest speakers, music

Wednesday September 14

1 pm at the South Orange Public Library -   Screening of 9/12: From Chaos to  Community, a documentary focusing on a group of New York City volunteers, and the recovery workers they cared for

Thursday September 15

1 pm at the South Orange Public Library –  9/11:  U.S.. and Osama bin Laden, Before and After, lecture and discussion given by Eugene Lieber

Tuesday September 20

7 pm at South Orange Public Library – Screening of Not in Our Town: Light in  the Darkness, a documentary that profiles a town standing together to combat anti-immigrant violence, followed by a discussion led by Carlos Decena, Assistant Professor of Latino and Hispanic Studies at Rutgers University

All events are free and open to the public.

 For further information, visit www.sopl.org or www.southorange.org, call 973-762-0230 or email librarian@sopl.org .