By Angela Marshall
Cove's world was turned upside-down on Sept. 11 when her husband, friend and helpmate, Jim, tragically died in the World Trade Center attacks.
While dealing with her own grief, Cove wanted to acknowledge the universal loss felt in Rockville Centre following the attacks. She shared her idea with friend Jean Cohen and sparked a program at the Rockville Centre Public Library.
Nearly 200 residents attended the opening lecture by The God Squad at South Side Middle School on Sunday, Feb. 10, and even more attended the reception following at the library.
The basement meeting room at the library was transformed into an art gallery featuring the works of dozens of village residents, both young and old. Along with the paintings and drawings were poems, letters and essays about how residents have been affected and their continuing desire for peace.
A poem by Cove's 9-year-old son, Gregory, was featured. In it he talked about his memories of Sept. 11. ...Everybody remembers that day, moonlight shines above, broken hearts, everyone holding candles, rocking in the chair, one day we remember, one day we cry.
Cove said her initial desire for the program was a kind of Chicken Soup for the Soul day, referring to a series of popular nurturing books. I felt there was really a need for us to come together after the tears, she said.
Cohen, program coordinator for the library, began contacting schools, the Sandel Senior Center, the Village Art Club and other organizations looking for works to display in the exhibit.
Marianne Pilgrim Calabrese created four paintings in response to the attacks and welcomed the opportunity to share some of them with her neighbors. Her works combined nationally-known photographs with issues she felt needed exploring.
In one, Calabrese recreated a photograph of a girl waving an American flag and in the shadows painted women wearing veils to point out the relationship between women in the free world and those of other lands.
Students from Wilson, Hewitt and Watson elementary schools and South Side High School submitted projects. They drew pictures of the burning towers with the American flag flying high. They colored birds of peace. And they wrote about their memories from Sept. 11.
Watson second grader Brian Johnke wrote an essay about his father's escape from the towers. Brian's father worked on the 74th floor and after walking down the stairs, helped many people escape from the building. His father met a friend and, Brian wrote, They walked and walked and took three buses to Brooklyn and a train to Rockville Centre... When I saw my dad, the skin around his eyes was gray and his ears were filled with dust. I ran to him and hugged him for a long time. I was so happy that he was not hurt.
As residents walked through the exhibit they were serenaded by several of the school district's musical groups.
Hope for the future
Cove wanted speakers to talk about the future and anything good that could possibly have come from such a horrible act. That is why Msg. Tom Hartman and Rabbi Marc Gellman of The God Squad were asked to share their motivational lecture. The pair share the spotlight on a popular TV show on Telecare and have written several books together.
Through a series of heart-warming stories, the religious leaders shared the changes they've seen since Sept. 11 and offered healing tips for those still feeling overwhelmed by loss.
The rabbi said one of the most prolific questions following the attacks was, Where was God on 9/11?
It is one of the easiest questions to answer, he said. God was with all the heroes. And, Gellman continued, he was with all those who became more compassionate and loving in the aftermath.
We've seen people doing extraordinary things, Hartman said.
They talked about acts of patriotism, donations of time and money and the increased attendance at religious services.
Gellman encouraged listeners to continue to give of themselves.
Not all the heroes entered the buildings, the rabbi said. He said there is a level of heroism in everyone and that those listening to the lecture should find it in themselves to help others at soup kitchens, charitable organizations or by being a role model for children.
America, you should feel, needs you, Gellman said.
Hartman said one of the things he hopes people learn from Sept. 11 is the need to build bridges between communities, religious, ethnic or otherwise.
One audience member pointed out that in the dust storm following the collapse of the towers, there were no color barriers between people. Everyone was united in the task of saving as many people as possible without concern for race or religion.
The exhibit will be on display at the library until Feb. 17.
