Sheepshead Community Gathered In Bill Brown Park For Heartfelt 9/11 Memorial Service

It was a night of music, joy, remembrance, and pride. The Sheepshead Bay community congregated in front of the 9/11 mural in Bill Brown Park, also known as Bedford Park, to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the terror attacks that shook our city and our country.

It started with the crowd singing the Star Spangled Banner:

With tears and laughter, people told stories of loved ones lost that day. The theme of the night was resiliency, and American grit.

“We are free. We can speak freely. We have the freedom of speech, the right to say what we want, the right to choose our faith, because we’re Americans,” said Eddie Bracken, who lost his sister, Lucy, in the attacks. “We don’t give that up, ever. They’ll never defeat us, they’ll never kill us.”

Between speakers, patriotic sing-alongs like America the Beautiful were played to waving flags in the hands of dancing children wearing red white and blue. Local musician, Tom Chelston, played an original song about the fateful day 15 years ago, and had the crowd sing the chorus, which is about missing lost loved ones, with him.

“I haven’t seen you since September, still I hold you every day,” goes Chelston’s song. “And your warm love, I remember, will never fade away.”

The wall in which the ceremony took place in front of was painted with messages like “Land of the Free, Home of the Brave,” and “God Bless America,” and had the names of 400 southern Brooklynites who perished in the attacks painted on it, as well as the NYPD and FDNY emblems.

The mural on the handball court wall was started by Ray Fiore, known by friends as Rockin’ Ray, days after he volunteered in the rubble of Ground Zero. Fiore started with the giant American flag. Then a friend came and asked to have his sister’s name put on the wall, and then more people came with more names until the entire wall was covered.

One night while he was painting on the wall, and losing sunlight, a police officer approached Fiore and the wall. Fiore was worried he was in trouble and would have to stop the project, but the officer instead shined his scooter’s light on the wall so Fiore could continue.

Rockin’ Ray has since moved to Colorado. He suffers from breathing issues since the attacks, and the thin Rocky Mountain air is easier for him. At the memorial last night, the song He ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother, by The Hollies, was played for him.

Former City Council member Lew Fidler spoke at the memorial.

“This is the 9/11 commemoration that most speaks to community, people, and America. It’s not sponsored by elected officials or big organizations. It’s sponsored by people,” said Fidler. “It makes me reflect on why we do this. I had the sad but important duty of naming streets for so many of our fallen neighbors and heroes. I had to look in the eyes of each one of those mothers and brothers and fathers and sisters and feel how much pain they were going through and how important it was to remember them.”

“We are still here, and no matter how many enemies we have in the world we will continue to be here,” said Fidler to applause.

Council member Chaim Deutsch also spoke at the memorial, saying it was the most touching commemoration out of the many he had gone to yesterday.

“This is the only neighborhood that I know of that had an invitation that said ‘rain or shine,’ no matter what weather we are continuing this event because thousands of people lost their lives, so what does it matter if it’s cold if it’s hot or raining,” said Deutsch.

An organizer of the event, Tina Gray, wrote an open letter to the terrorists who conducted to attacks of 9/11, and read it while holding back tears.

“You hit the world trade center, but you missed America. Why? Because of something you’ll never understand,” read Gray. “America isn’t about a building or two. It isn’t about financial centers or military centers. America isn’t a place, or a bunch of bodies. America is about an idea. An idea that you can go someplace where you can earn as much as you can figure out how to, live how you envisioned living, and pursue happiness.”

Evelyn Zelmanowitz told the story of her brother-in-law, Abe, who died in the attacks. Abe was with a friend, who was a parapeligic, in the north tower. Abe stayed with his friend while everyone else evacuated. He was waiting for rescue workers to come and help his disabled friend, because he didn’t want him to be alone. Sadly, they both died in the building.

“Not a day goes by that we all think about him, speak about him, or miss him dearly,” said Zelmanowitz.

Zelmanowitz inherited Abe’s old computer when he got a new one in the year 2000. A month after she lost her brother-in-law, she found a poem he had downloaded on the computer. It shook her to her core. The poem is “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” by Norma Marek, and she read it at the memorial inciting audible sobs from the crowd.

The night ended on a high note, with everyone joining arm-in-arm for a sing-along to Frank Sinatra’s New York, NY. People kicked in unison and sang the words with pride for their city, and the strength of their community. No one left without a smile on their face.