Visiting the 9/11 Memorial

Last time I was near the World Trade Center, the fences were still up and you needed tickets to get into the memorial area. That is no longer the case, as of May. This September 11 is the first anniversary of the memorial. You can just walk into the plaza now and visit. I’ll give more information on the bottom – you can see pictures from my visit as you scroll down.

pool polish
There was something very sacred about the woman’s work cleaning and polishing the metal holding the names.

 

pool south

You can see a short video of what the World Trade Center 9/11 Memorial pool looks like here. Continue reading “Visiting the 9/11 Memorial”

9/11 Museum Review – Should You Take Kids?

This summer I went to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. I went without my kids because I wanted to see if it was appropriate for them, and also wanted the time to go through there without the pressure of “I want to leave!” “I’m hungry!” “Are you almost done?”

pool museum
You can see the museum in the background – it’s the lower building just above the treeline on the left/center.

I’ll get into details about tickets, timing etc. at the bottom, along with age issues. I’ll also save my grand overarching thoughts about the museum for the end, so if you’re just looking for that, scroll to the bottom area. First I’d like to lead you through the museum. Continue reading “9/11 Museum Review – Should You Take Kids?”

Commemorating 9/11 2013

September 11th has a more intense meaning for us now that we live in New Jersey. The house we live in was once owned by a couple, whose husband perished in the Twin Towers. Living here is a daily reminder.

The 11th anniversary is upon us, and I just wanted to put out a few resources on where you can find information on how to discuss the day with your children.

The 9/11 memorial in Manhattan opened last year, on the 10th anniversary. The museum is not yet open, however there are lesson plans available. These were developed by teachers, through the New York City Department of Education, and the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education. You don’t have to be a credentialed teacher to use them, of course. As parents, we’re all teachers. The site also has tips on how to talk to your children about 9/11.

The photo above is the Empty Sky memorial in Jersey City. It was dedicated last year to those in New Jersey who lost their lives on 9/11. It’s a beautiful memorial, and you can see steel from the World Trace Center in the foreground. The names of those lost are inscribed inside the walkway on the stone panels. The view? Well, yes. That’s where the Twin Towers stood.

MommyPopppins has  fabulous list of ways to commemorate the day with your family, with a lot of resources. Please check it out.

Our thoughts go to all who lost friends and family members on that horrific day, and to those who died in the aftermath of helping in rescue and clean-up efforts.

Review: Newseum with Kids in Washington D.C.

This is part of a series on Washington D.C. with kids. Most of the attractions in Washington D.C. are free, even if they’re not part of the Smithsonian complex. That said, here’s one museum that’s worth the money you pay.

Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Newseum

Newseum turned out to be my daughter’s favorite museum on our trip, and I loved it as well. In fact, after spending 2.5 hours at it one day, we went back the next day to catch what we missed (the tickets allow a 2 day consecutive entry at no extra cost).

Continue reading “Review: Newseum with Kids in Washington D.C.”

What to Do on September 11 in New York City

copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

This year, the 10th anniversary of September 11, falls on a Sunday. Given that the kids won’t be in school, it’s a good chance for the family to reflect on what happened, its impact on our lives, remember those whose lives were lost, and join with with the community. I posted some events here which you can consider attending. NYC.gov has a list of activities on its calendar.

9/11 Memorial Site – official opening is on 9/11/11 for families who lost someone in the attacks.  The ceremony for family members starts at 8:30 a.m. and all the names of those lost will be read after the city-wide moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. There will be a second city-wide moment of silence at 9:03 a.m. and then affected families will be allowed to access the memorial to see their loved one’s names in the bronze plaques.  Continue reading “What to Do on September 11 in New York City”