There are days around which the world seems to pivot and change - days that mark before and after for individuals, communities, and countries. In the last hundred years we think of: D-Day, Pearl Harbor, JFK's assassination, the Challenger Disaster, and today.

Fifteen years later those of us who lived through September 11, 2001, remember with clarity so many aspects of that terrible day.

Where have we come on account of that day? What more do we have to do?

More than ever we need to tap into the spirit of unity that brought us together then. We must remember that unity among many of us often excluded others in the wake of events that caused us to think terrible things and unfairly stereotype and abuse entire segments of our population.

We need to remember that disasters are created by complex problems and that solving those problems will require long term strategic plans and emotional bravery and compromise.

In Judaism we constantly turn moments of past struggle into lessons upon which we can build a better future.

May the memories of all those we lost inspire us to create blessings in the future.