In South Brunswick, the school district and area clergy have banded together to offer support and guidance for residents young and old, as the nation comes to terms with the harrowing events of Tuesday morning.
By: Nick D’Amore
At a time of national tragedy, the character of the nation is best seen through the deeds and acts of the everyday citizens of that nation.
In South Brunswick, the school district and area clergy have banded together to offer support and guidance for residents young and old, as the nation comes to terms with the harrowing events of Tuesday morning.
That morning, two hijacked planes coming from Boston’s Logan Airport deliberately crashed into both towers of the World Trade Center, killing and injuring perhaps thousands. A third hijacked plane crashed into the Pentagon a short time later and a fourth went down near Pittsburgh, its intended target not yet clear.
Schools remained open 24 hours in the district in the event that children may have to go home to empty houses.
Superintendent Sam Stewart said no child needed to stay at the school overnight.
"We stayed until every child was safely home. We did not need to stay the whole night. There was no report of deaths of any parents," he said.
Dr. Stewart said he had been in a meeting Wednesday morning at the operation center of the South Brunswick Police Department.
"Things seem to be extraordinarily normal. We’re sending another letter home with kids," he said.
Letters were sent home with students on Tuesday informing parents and students that the school would be available all day and night for children who needed it.
For the rest of the week, teachers will be talking about what happened, he said.
"We want to emphasize that we live in a great country, in part because of a well-educated group of citizens that care for each other. We’re not only going to survive, we will prevail," said Dr. Stewart.
Dr. Stewart also stressed the need for tolerance.
"More than ever, we need to appreciate diversity," he said.
Imam Hamad Ahmad Chebli of the Islamic Society of Central Jersey said that it has been business as usual at the mosque.
"We have been here since the early 1970s. We live as a neighbor, citizen and part of the community," he said.
The society held a prayer vigil Tuesday, as did many of the other religious communities in the area.
There will be an interfaith service on Sept. 20 at St. Augustine’s R.C. Church in Kendall Park at 7:30 p.m.
The Rev. Francis Hubbard, the rector of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Monmouth Junction, said his congregation also met Tuesday to pray for those who are still missing and to give thanks for those who had been near and survived.
"We’ve been calling through the list of members to find out the safety of the families. It’s mostly been good news," he said.
Father Hubbard, a member of the South Brunswick Area Clergy association, said a response team was set up that included local clergy.
"We want to make it clear that all faith communities are together in deploring and mourning the attacks. We stand together with people of good will," he said.
He also had concerns that people may take out their anger and frustration on a particular ethnic group who they may feel is responsible for the violence.
"This is not an act of a particular ethnic group or faith. It is the work of fanatical terrorists," said Father Hubbard.
"By affirming our community and commitment to being a community with respect, it’s a good way to stick it to the fanatics," he said.
Bruce Rockman, cantor for Congregation B’nai Tikvah, said about 300 people came to a special prayer service Tuesday night. He said the usual nightly services will include special healing psalms and prayers.
"We have also offered our services to North and South Brunswick for counseling any congregant or anyone else," he said.
The Rev. Bob Lynam, pastor of St. Augustine’s, said the chapel of the church will be turned into a memorial.
Carolyn Hughes, a pastoral board member of the church, said there will be large books there for people to write down any prayers, comments or the names of people they wish to be prayed for.
Ms. Hughes said the books will be sent to New York Archbishop Edward Cardinal Egan and Washington, D.C., Archbishop Theodore Cardinal McCarrick.
"We did the same for Columbine and people came in scores," she said.
Father Lynam said the chapel would be "a place of prayer and quiet solitude to reflect on what has happened."
Father Lynam said all of parishioners known to be in the area at the time of the attack were accounted for "with some harrowing stories."

