There’s a 9/11 Living Memorial in Jerusalem-Truth!
Summary of eRumor:
There’s a living 9/11 memorial in Jerusalem that was sculpted from the wreckage of the Twin Towers.
The Truth:
It’s true that there’s a 9/11 memorial in Jerusalem.
The 9/11 Living Memorial was commissioned by the Jewish National Fund was dedicated in the Arazim Valley of Jerusalem in November 2009:
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRPYTiN5Oso[/embedyt]
The 9/11 Living Memorial Plaza was built by the Jewish National Fund on five acres of land located about 20 miles northwest of Jerusalem, the Jerusalem Post reports:
The memorial, designed by Israeli artist Eliezer Weishoff, was commissioned and built by the Edward Blank family of New York City through JNF America and KKL-JNF Israel, a thirty-foot bronze sculpture representing an American flag that gradually turns into a memorial flame. It rests on a base of granite from the Twin Towers and is the only memorial site outside New York on which are engraved the names of all those killed.
At the dedication, Jewish National Fund Chairman Efi Stenzler explained why the group chose to build the Living 9/11 Memorial near Jerusalem:
We deliberated over the best site for this memorial, finally choosing Arazim Park, one of a string of parks within a huge metropolitan park encircling Jerusalem, serving as a Green lung for Jerusalem and comprising forests, springs, fruit orchards, ancient mountain terraces and many attractions. The park will reflect the past, present and future of the Eternal City and will be visible from the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, so that whoever goes up to Jerusalem will be reminded of the innocent victims of that murderous attack and will find hope in the vision of the prophet Isaiah that ‘nation will not raise sword against nation, neither will they make any more war.’
Each year on the anniversary of 9/11, a ceremony is held at the 9/11 Living Memorial near Jerusalem with diplomats, dignitaries and local politicians remembering the terrorist attacks.