Rising from the Ashes

On September 11, 2001, four commercial airplanes took off from airports across the United States. These flights were scheduled to land in California but were hijacked mid-flight by nineteen terrorists from al-Qaeda, an Islamist extremist group. As millions watched the events unfold, two of the planes slammed into the World Trade Center’s North and South Towers in New York City. The third plane hit the west side of the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth plane crashed in an empty field in western Pennsylvania following a struggle between passengers and hijackers. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the four coordinated terrorist attacks on American soil that impacted the lives of thousands and forever changed our security and response efforts as a nation.

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About Alice M. Greenwald

As the chief executive, a position she has held since January 1, 2017, Alice Greenwald is responsible for the overall vision, financial well-being, management, and long-term sustainability and relevance of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. From 2006-2016, Ms. Greenwald served as Executive Vice President for Exhibitions, Collections, and Education and Director of the Memorial Museum. In this role, she oversaw the articulation and implementation of a founding vision for the 9/11 Memorial Museum, managing its programming, collecting, exhibition, and educational initiatives.

Ms. Greenwald previously served as Associate Museum Director, Museum Programs, at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). Her 19-year affiliation with USHMM began in 1986, when she served as a member of the “Design Team” for the Permanent Exhibition.

From 1986-2001, Ms. Greenwald was the principal of Alice M. Greenwald/Museum Services, providing expertise to various clients including, in addition to USHMM, the Baltimore Museum of Industry, the Pew Charitable trusts, and the Historical Society of Princeton.

Ms. Greenwald has served as Executive Director of the National Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia (1981-86); Acting Director (1980), Curator (1978-81) and Assistant Curator (1975-78) of the Hebrew Union College Skirball Museum, Los Angeles, and Curatorial Assistant at the Spertus Museum of Judaica, Chicago.

She is the author of several articles on museum practice, Jewish ritual art, and various historical topics. Her book, The Stories They Tell: Artifacts from the National September 11 Memorial Museum, co-edited with Clifford Chanin and published by SkiraRizzoli, was cited in The New York Times as one of the best books about New York City published in 2013. She is also the executive editor and primary contributing author of No Day Shall Erase You: The Story of 9/11 as Told at the National September 11 Memorial Museum, the official companion volume to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, published by SkiraRizzoli in August 2016. This book was awarded the bronze prize in the 2016 Foreword INDIES Awards in the category of History (Adult Nonfiction).

Ms. Greenwald currently serves on the boards of the United Kingdom Holocaust Memorial Foundation, the International Council of Museums (US), and Central Synagogue in New York City. She holds an M.A. in the History of Religions from the University of Chicago Divinity School, and a B.A with concentrations in English Literature and Anthropology from Sarah Lawrence College, where she delivered the commencement address to the class of 2007.