Day 4 - NYC

We arrived in NYC on September 11. It was kind of eerie. We went downtown to look at Ground Zero on September 12. There were make shift memorials everywhere. People were solemn. It was hard to believe that just 9 years ago the spot where we were standing was covered in massive piles of debris. There was an old church, St. Paul's Church, across the street from where the towers once stood. The church was a piece of history in and of itself. It was the church that President George Washington would go to worship for the 2 years that New York was the nation's capitol. It is also the place of worship for other Presidents who followed. But history had also given this church a new role. For 9 months following the attacks, the church became a safe haven for victims, families and rescue workers. As we walked inside, the church had been transformed with tokens and memorabilia from those who had come to this church seeking help. Although the "old" history of this church was significant, the "new" history of this church was too. I realized that I was alive when the new history was written and that the world would never be the same.

We had lunch on the pier. The weather was cloudy but calm. We bought an umbrella and visited Central Park, shopped and visited the Manhattan Temple/meeting house. It was a laid back day filled with reverence and great conversation.

Manhattan Temple

Central Park