9/11 Found Me in The Subway

Where were you?

I was in an R Train from Brooklyn to Manhattan on my way to work. When I heard that a plane went into the Twin Towers it sounded so crazy that it couldn't have been an accident. Everyone was on their cells trying to contact someone to find out what was happening. The train went thru the tunnel to the Wall Street area, people got on and this is when everyone got very excited. This person got on by the Chambers station and was very nervous and scared and telling us all she knew about what happened.

As our train was leaving the next station, it stopped quickly. An announcement told us all to make our way back to the last car and that we were to exit the subway. One by one we followed each other to the very last door, that was barely near the platform. Police were there and directed us up and out and, once on the street, we saw people walking, some dazed some confused.

More police and military were all over yelling at us to go, just keep walking uptown," just keep walking uptown!"

I found myself walking with a lot of people I didn't know, we were all worried and questioning. We went straight up the east side, and at some point I turned left and went thru a park toward the west side where my office was. I sat in the park to rest a little and then I looked up and downtown where everything was happening. Then I saw an amazing sight.

This huge tall building with smoke rising started disappearing slowly toward the ground. I watched as it descended, while still whole, just getting shorter and shorter until I couldn't see it anymore.

All I could do was say, "Oh my G-d, Oh my G-d. What did they do (the Americans). What do You want from us?"

I tried to call home to tell my Mother that I was ok, but didn't have a connection. So, all I could do was head for the office. I got to Broadway and hitched a ride with others going further uptown. People were helping anyone everyone. It was amazing When I got to the office everyone was there but me. I was late that day because I needed to help my Mother and wait for the aide to arrive. MTA was debating whether to allow trains to run. That's why I got caught in the subway.

The next few hours were craziness. Listening to the news, wondering how to get home, when to leave? No trains were running anywhere now. I may have been on the last train in. But now how to get out!

We waited until the news announced that the trains were going and which one's were in fact running. There were only certain lines we could take and while I ended up in Brooklyn I had to walk from there to Boro Park, arriving home in the dark. With every step I was talking with HaShem.

The turmoil went on for days and days. We were glued to my Mother's TV watching scene after scene of gruesome replays and people sobbing and searching for their loved ones. The radio gave me more information and interviews over the next several days and weeks. I was never patriotic and never felt truly at home in America, but the achdus of the New Yorkers was amazing and contagious.

So much has happened since then, to me personally. My Mother a"h is now in a better place, and my husband and I are truly in the best place in the world here in Yeushalayim.

G-d is in charge, and while we don't understand everything, and don't have we any of the answers, we trust that He is leading His children through history to the Geulah and everything that Am Yisrael has gone through was for a purpose. We shall understand when Moshiach comes.


This is only some of what I experienced of 9/11.