9/11

A Glimpse Before the Storm

Over two decades ago, on a Tuesday, exactly one week before September 11, 2001, I was driving across the 59th Street Bridge on my way to Rebbetzin Jungreis’s Tuesday night class at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on the Upper East Side—a routine I had followed faithfully for two years. As I crossed the bridge, I glanced toward the Twin Towers and noticed small aircraft circling around them. In that moment, an overwhelming sense of foreboding washed over me, a vision stirring deep within, hinting that something terrible was imminent.

At the time, my spiritual awareness and Torah knowledge were still developing, and I didn’t fully understand the meaning of what I was sensing. Not wanting to believe that such a tragedy could occur, I tried to block the vision from my mind, dismissing it as impossible.

The following Friday afternoon, just hours before Shabbat, I found myself driving across the same bridge once again. I turned my head toward the Twin Towers—and saw small aircraft circling them, just as I had earlier in the week. Something inside me knew that what I was witnessing was not ordinary. Acting on instinct, I stopped my car on the bridge and, in desperation, prayed to HaShem. I begged Him to prevent any catastrophe from happening in my lifetime. It may have been a naïve prayer, born from my limited understanding at the time, but it was the only way I knew how to respond to the overwhelming feeling I had.

That weekend, during a Shabbaton with Hineni, I felt a strong urge to share what I had seen and sensed. But something held me back, and looking back, I am grateful I kept silent. Had I spoken about my premonition of 9/11, it might have led me down a different path, one where I might not be here today, writing these words to you. Yet, in ways I may never fully understand, I believe my prayers made a difference. Miraculously, many people who would have been at the World Trade Center that morning did not show up for work, sparing their lives. While the loss of life was immense and tragic, there were countless others who were saved that day.

In the aftermath of 9/11, I knew I needed to elevate my understanding. I enrolled full-time at Yeshivah Torah Mitzion in Merrick, Long Island, immersing myself in Torah study for the next two years. That period of intense learning was transformative. I believe HaShem guided me toward this path, enabling me to grow spiritually and prepare for the work I would one day do.

Over the years, my understanding of what happened on 9/11 has evolved. Through extensive research, I have come to believe that airplanes were not responsible for the collapse of the Twin Towers or Building 7. While the world may not yet fully know the truth, I trust that one day everything will be revealed.