9/11 must become America’s Tisha B’Av

The article argues that America must transform 9/11 into a day of solemn remembrance akin to the Jewish fast of Tisha B'Av to effectively confront its enemies and revitalize national vigor. It contends that America's tendency to "move on" and its "amnesic forgiveness" have led to a dangerous forgetting of the 9/11 attacks and their ideological roots. The author highlights how the Bush administration's reluctance to discuss the hijackers' creed, coupled with subsequent controversial wars and political shifts, allowed national memory to erode. This amnesia has resulted in a generation unfamiliar with the event's gravity, and a political climate where anti-American and anti-Jewish sentiments, often linked to groups like CAIR, have gained traction. The article notes that the 9/11 plot initially targeted Jewish neighborhoods, and approximately 400 Jews were killed in the attacks. It concludes that by adopting a Jewish approach to commemorating national tragedy, recognizing 9/11 as a "perennial spiritual trauma," America can begin a path toward national redemption and restoration.