Remembering September 11: A Story of Service, Community, and Humanity

For Anthony Reinhart of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, September 11, 2001, is more than a date in history. It is a day he experienced firsthand, a day that shaped his understanding of community, service, and the importance of being there for others.

Today, Mr. Reinhart joined the MBS community at All School Meeting to share his story with students and reflect on the events of September 11 and the weeks and months that followed.

At the time, Mr. Reinhart was a 17 year old Pace University student living just blocks from the World Trade Center. From his dorm room, Mr. Reinhart could see one of the towers in flames. Mr. Reinhart made his way to math class just a few floors below his dorm room as people across Manhattan were trying to make their way to safety. While police officers, firefighters, and other first responders moved toward the danger.Mr. Reinhart eventually made his way outside with thousands of others leaving Lower Manhattan. Separated from his friends, and feeling lost, he miraculously came face to face with someone quite familiar, his father. In the middle of an unimaginable day, that moment brought the tragedy home in a very personal way.

Mr. Reinhart, his dad and countless others eventually made their way toward Brooklyn. Along the way, people gathered around cars and pay phones, trying to find out what had happened and reach their families. When Mr. Reinhart was finally able to speak with his grandparents, he remembers the emotion in his grandmother’s voice and the realization that his grandfather, who had retired from NYPD decades earlier, was willing to put his uniform back on and join the other first responders

Mr. Reinhart continued to remind students, faculty and staff that while September 11 brought tremendous loss, it is important to remember the remarkable sense of community that emerged in its aftermath.For Mr. Reinhart, that spirit of people helping people was one of the most lasting lessons of September 11.

In the aftermath of the attacks, he volunteered at a relief center at Ground Zero. The experience helped shape his understanding of what he wanted his own life to be about: service.

Service, as Mr. Reinhart reminded everyone, does not always have to begin with a grand gesture. It can be as simple as becoming involved in your community, helping someone who needs support, or taking the time to be there for someone else. Small acts of kindness and responsibility can have a meaningful impact.

Twenty-five years later, September 11 can feel like a distant chapter in history for students who were not yet born. Mr. Reinhart’s story helped bring that history closer, giving students an opportunity to hear from someone who experienced the day firsthand and to reflect on the lessons that have endured.

Mr. Reinhart’s message was not simply about remembering what happened, it was about remembering how people responded.They helped one another. They came together. They served their communities. And, in the midst of tremendous uncertainty and loss, they reminded one another of the power of simply being there.