A Day of Remembrance: My Experience Attending Jewish National Fund-USA's 9/11 Ceremony in Israel

Muss students at the 9/11 ceremony with Jewish National Fund-USA CEO Russell F. Robinson (left), U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, (center), and Muss Head of School Dr. Stephen Kutno (right)

By Rachel Latman, Muss Fall 2026 Student

Being an American study abroad student in Israel can be scary, I won't lie about that. But the experience is much more meaningful than one might think. Being a student at Muss High School Israel has been a truly incredible experience so far. I get the chance to learn and keep up with my studies while exploring the beautiful country that is Israel. From spending time on campus in Hod Hasharon to spending shabbats on kibbutzim in the North, the past month has been unlike anything I've ever experienced. As a part of a Tiyul, or day trip, to Jerusalem, I was able to attend the official 9/11 Memorial Ceremony at the only memorial outside of the U.S. that lists all the names of the victims from that day. Growing up in the American school system, I have learned about and studied 9/11 for years, but I, myself have never actually attended a memorial until now.

In all my life, I have always known that Israel and the United States had a strong relationship, but attending the 9/11 memorial brought it into a whole new perspective for me. The memorial itself is a beautiful work of art, but what really caught my attention was the unmistakable connection between 9/11 and October 7th. I realized how Israel and Jews in general can, in a messed up way, relate to the tragedy that was 9/11. The ceremony's performances were breathtaking but so meaningful at the same time. We heard the band “Art of Nova”, which is composed of Nova Festival survivors, perform the song “Shir LaMa'alot”. We also had the privilege of hearing the “Special in Uniform band” accompanied by the “Israel Police Orchestra” perform a beautiful rendition of "Hatikvah". We heard speeches from many incredible people, but most notably the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, Russell F. Robinson, the CEO of JNF-USA, and Eyal Ostrinsky, the chairman of KKL-JNF. After all of the performances and speeches, it was time for the wreath and rose laying part of the ceremony. The first wreath was laid by U.S. marines stationed at the U.S. embassy accomponied by Israeli Firefighters and the last wreath was placed by two students from my very own program. The event was a success but more importantly it touched the lives of teenagers who were not even alive on that fateful day. Many students cried and others retold stories they have heard throughout the years. After the ceremony, many Muss students took the opportunity to meet the ambassador and approach some of the other speakers whose words we were touched by. The most profound moment for me was not the ceremony itself, but the minute our bus started heading back towards campus. The bus was completely silent, not because the students were asleep, but because we were all processing the day in our own way.