Christine Quinn, Speaker of New York City Council, speaking beside Lee Ielpi, President of 9/11 Tribute Center, at the unveiling of the event, Tiles of Tribute and Healing, at the Jefferson Market Library in Greenwich Village.

Tiles for America have been moved to the Jefferson Market Library in New York. City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, the September 11th Families' Association and the New York Public Library unveiled an exhibit of ceramic tiles that were a part of New York City's first spontaneous 9/11 memorial. The dozens of tiles on display were once affixed to a fence at the corner of Greenwich and 7th Avenues following the attacks of September 11, 2001. The artwork served as a message of hope and comfort in a time of sorrow, and remained until the autumn of 2012, becoming a well-loved tribute to those lost and injured on 9/11. The exhibit will be on display at the Jefferson Market Library, a branch of the New York Public Library system, a few blocks from where the original memorial stood.

The Tiles for America Project was created by Lorrie Veasey at her studio, Our Name Is Mud, which was next to the fence. This exhibit was created for the Jefferson Market Library by the 9/11 Tribute Center and the September 11th Families' Association. The mission of this organization is to gather and share the personal stories of the impact that September 11th had on New York City, and to remember the tragedy as well as the healing power of people helping each other.   

"These tiles, both symbolically and visually beautiful, serve as a memorial to those who perished on 9/11, and are a tribute to the compassion and strength of our city," said Speaker Quinn. "This exhibit is an important historical record to this community and to the city as a whole. We will continue to ensure that these pieces of art are preserved and cherished."

"This beautiful memorial created from tiles made by people from all over the world both inspired and brought comfort to the community of Greenwich Village," said Lee Ielpi, President, September 11th Families' Association.

"The Library is honored to display these treasured expressions of hope and support, which for so long have served as heartfelt tributes to those lost on 9/11," said NYPL President Tony Marx. "We thank City Council Speaker Christine Quinn for bringing these important works to our Jefferson Market Library, a center of the community that stands mere blocks from the original location of the memorial."

 Go to our press page for more information regarding the event.

The 9/11 Tribute Center held a presentation on September 11th Emergency Medical Response and Disaster Preparedness by Antonio Dajer, M.D., Chairman of Emergency Medicine at NY Downtown Hospital on January 14, at the Tribute Center, 120 Liberty Street in downtown Manhattan.

Dr. Dajer discussed the remarkable response of NY Downtown Hospital on September 11, 2001. As the sole attending ER physician on duty that morning, Dr. Dajer took part in the largest single-hospital disaster response in American history. Dr. Dajer described how the hospital responded that morning, and the work he and others on the staff have done for disaster preparedness since. He highlighted the successes and suggested areas in which the whole community needs to improve its readiness.

The little known story of NY Downtown Hospital on 9/11 is the subject of a British film, 9/11 Emergency Room, which was aired in September 2012. Brief segments of the film were shown to illustrate the drama that unfolded as injured survivors fled from the World Trade Center only four blocks away.

Dr. Antonio J. Dajer was born in New York City and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He attended Harvard College and NYU Medical School. Since 1992 he has been attending in the Emergency Department at NY Downtown Hospital. In 2007 the American College of Emergency Physicians named Dr. Dajer a "Hero of Emergency Medicine" for his role on 9/11.

When Tribute docents traveled to Japan in October to provide support to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami of 3/11, they brought with them the gift of a sculpture of an origami crane fabricated out of steel recovered at the World Trade Center.  While the docents were in Japan, they attended a groundbreaking ceremony in Kaiseizan Park, Koriyama City, Fukushima, where Lee Ielpi, Tribute co-founder participated in the traditional Shinto dedication ceremony.

On December 23, the statue was installed permanently in the park where all can come and draw inspiration from the message:

"The September 11th Families' Association and 9/11 Tribute Center extend compassion to the people who lived through the tragic earthquake of March 11, 2011. We wish you strength and courage as you move forward to rebuild your lives and communities."  

Other organizations who supported the building of the monument organizations are the United States-Japan Foundation, American Airlines, Japan Society, the Japan Medical Society of America and Rotary.

Dr. Robert Yanagisawa who attended the ceremony reported that people feel the crane looks as if it's about to take flight.  The Mayor of Koriyama, Masao Hara, presented the September 11th Families' Association, with a citation thanking the organization for traveling to Japan to let the victims of 3/11 know that they are not forgotten.