Cantor Fitzgerald, a firm that experienced the most profound loss of any organization on September 11, 2001, has released a new anthology to commemorate the victims and their families.
The firm occupied the 101st through 105th floors of the World Trade Center's North Tower. Of its 960 New York employees, 658 perished in the attacks, along with 50 contractors and visitors. An additional 61 individuals were lost from Euro Brokers, now part of Cantor Fitzgerald.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Edie and Howard Lutnick, whose family was deeply affected, co-founded the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund on September 14, 2001. The fund was established to aid the relatives of those lost in rebuilding their lives.
As years passed and memories of the attacks began to fade, particularly for younger generations, the need to preserve these personal stories became evident. Caroline Aiken Koster, general counsel of the Relief Fund, noted that as memorial volunteers were born after 9/11, direct recollection of the events was impossible.
To address this, Cantor families submitted 176 essays, letters, poems, and recollections for the anthology titled "The Families: 9/11 Anthology of Love, Loss and Lessons of Resilience." The collection captures the determination and hope of those who experienced profound loss.
Contributors share a range of experiences, from burn survivors expressing gratitude to a West Point cadet channeling grief into a PTSD program for veterans. Other accounts include a father's embrace of faith after losing two sons and mothers raising children with joy against overwhelming odds. The anthology also features reflections from individuals who never met their fathers, grappling with generational grief.
Edith Lutnick, co-founder, president, and executive director of the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, and Koster, gathered these personal narratives. Lutnick recounted the intense effort in the early days, including manually writing thousands of checks and establishing support networks.
The anthology aims to impart lessons on mutual support, finding purpose beyond personal pain, and the coexistence of joy and grief. These lessons are intended for anyone who has faced loss and continued living. Proceeds from the sale of "The Families" benefit the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund.