Hudson County Community College to Hold Special Community 9/11 Remembrance Event

September 8, 2026

The event will feature a keynote address by Robert DiGenova, special presentations and discussions, and screening of 9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero.

September 8, 2026, Jersey City, NJ – Twenty-five years after 9/11, remembrances will include adults who grew up without parents, first responders who lost colleagues, and tributes for the fallen. Nearly 3,000 individuals were killed in the 2001 targeted attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93. Those lost forever include 900 New Jerseyans, of whom 155 were from Hudson County. In the aftermath, the United States has reshaped national security, foreign policy, and civilian life.

Hudson County Community College (HCCC) will host a 9/11 Memorial Program featuring remembrances, addresses, presentations and a documentary screening. The commemoration will be held Friday, September 11, 2026, at 2 p.m. in the Gabert Library Atrium, 71 Sip Avenue, in Jersey City, NJ. The Gabert Library Atrium offers panoramic views of New York City and Jersey City skylines. A steel fragment from the World Trade Center North Tower’s East Façade, which was obtained by the College in 2013, is housed on the Atrium balcony.

The HCCC 9/11 Memorial Program will open with a welcoming from HCCC Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Darryl Jones, followed by remarks from the Hudson County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Anthony Romano, Jr. Deputy Chief of Police, Stevens Institute of Technology Robert DiGenova will deliver the keynote address, and the College will screen the documentary, 9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero. HCCC Assistant Professor of History, Political Science, and American Studies Dr. Christopher Cody will make a presentation, and HCCC Veterans Affairs and International Students Associate Director Zachary Forrest will moderate a discussion on 9/11 with New Jersey State Police Training Commission Vice Chairman James Sharrock and New Jersey Transit Counter-Terrorism Training Supervisor Lt. Keith Miano. HCCC Vice President for Institutional Engagement and Excellence Dr. Yeurys Pujols will deliver the closing remarks.

In his 39 years of public service, Robert DiGenova has held numerous statewide and national roles. A retired Captain with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, he served two terms as President of the New Jersey College and University Public Safety Association and had leadership roles with New Jersey County Narcotics Commanders Association, National Narcotics Officers Association Coalition, the New Jersey Narcotics Enforcement Officers Association, the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness Interfaith Advisory Council, and the New Jersey Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG). Through his work with PSAG, he represents higher education in New Jersey on a board that advises on public safety, national security measures, and global threats in collaboration with U.S. government and intelligence agencies.

The documentary 9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero examines the debate that ensued over rebuilding, remembrance, and renewal. The film shows how nearly 5,000 Americans gathered for the “Listening to the City” town hall at the Jacob Javits Center in 2002, shared their widely differing views on the future of Lower Manhattan, and came to core consensus on shaping New York’s 9/11 site as it is today. There will be additional showings of the documentary throughout the day.

The HCCC 9/11 Memorial Program is open to HCCC students, staff, faculty, and all community members. There is no charge for admission, but those who wish to attend are encouraged to register here.