The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund today announced that THE FAMILIES: 9/11 Anthology of Love, Loss and Lessons of Resilience will be published on September 3. Bringing together 176 essays, poems, letters and speeches, the anthology shares the experiences of Cantor Fitzgerald family members, survivors and witnesses whose lives were forever changed by the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center.

Edited by Edith Lutnick, Co-Founder, President, and Executive Director of the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, and Caroline Aiken Koster, its General Counsel, THE FAMILIES honors those lost and preserves the stories of those left behind for future generations. Rooted in one of the darkest days in American history, its message is universal: how people forced to live with profound loss preserve the memory of those they love and ultimately find a new path forward. Together, these essays form a mosaic of grief, grace and fortitude, offering lessons that resonate far beyond September 11.

“Cantor Fitzgerald suffered unimaginable loss on September 11,” said Ms. Lutnick. “We lost 658 friends, family members and colleagues that day, including my brother Gary, whom I miss every single day. Twenty-five years later, THE FAMILIES shares memories of those who were lost, along with the extraordinary wisdom their loved ones have gained through tragedy. My hope is that anyone who has experienced grief, loss, or trauma can find something in these stories that helps them understand that they are not alone, and that there can still be joy and hope after loss.”

In 2001, Cantor Fitzgerald’s headquarters occupied the 101st through 105th floors of One World Trade Center’s North Tower. Because the offices were above the impact zone, emergency assistance could not reach the employees there. The firm lost 658 of its 960 New York employees, the largest loss of life suffered by any single organization that day.

Three days after the attacks, on September 14, 2001, Cantor Fitzgerald’s leadership established the Relief Fund and committed to rebuilding the firm to support the families. The firm pledged 25% of the firm’s partnership profits for five years and provided ten years of health care coverage. That commitment ultimately provided approximately $180 million in support to the families. Today, The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund supports many charities around the world, assisting those in need while remaining rooted in the principle that inspired its creation: helping families directly and personally when they need it most. Since its inception, the Relief Fund has raised more than $320 million for 9/11-impacted families, disaster relief and hundreds of other charitable causes.

Ms. Koster added, “As we commemorate the 25th anniversary, this book does something a little different: it honors Cantor’s loved ones and the pledge to always remember, while offering lessons on navigating profound grief and tragedy through strength, healing and hope.”

Through 176 voices spanning three generations, THE FAMILIES captures the many forms that grief and resilience can take, including:

  • Burn survivors reflect on gratitude and embracing life.

  • A West Point cadet, who lost his brother, channels his grief into a PTSD program for veterans.

  • A son not yet born when his father died grapples with generational grief and finds a way forward.

  • An NYPD detective reflects on losing both his brother and 23 colleagues in uniform.

  • An identical twin takes readers to the trading floor on 9/11.

  • Mothers raise their children with joy, faith, and determination in the face of unimaginable hurdles.

  • Families confront and overcome the challenges of addiction.

  • A father embraces profound faith after losing two sons.

  • A wife finds grace after losing her husband and brother-in-law.

  • A sister discovers purpose in education after her loss.

  • Families find solace in civic duty and philanthropy.

THE FAMILIES: 9/11 Anthology of Love, Loss and Lessons of Resilience, is available for pre-order through on-line book retailers, bookstores and the Relief Fund’s website at https://cantorrelief.org/the-families-book/. All net proceeds from the sale of the anthology will support the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund in advancing its charitable mission.

About the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund

The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund was established in response to the devastating loss of 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees in the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund is a 501(c)(3) charity that today provides support to charitable organizations and causes globally, including disaster relief efforts.

For more information, visit www.cantorrelief.org. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram or X for the latest news.

About the Anthology Editors

Edith Lutnick, Co-Founder, President and Executive Director of the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund and sister of Gary Lutnick, and Caroline Aiken Koster, General Counsel of the Relief Fund and a senior Cantor Fitzgerald corporate attorney, edited THE FAMILIES: 9/11 Anthology of Love, Loss and Lessons of Resilience. Lutnick is the author of An Unbroken Bond: The Untold Story of How the 658 Cantor Fitzgerald Families Faced the Tragedy of 9/11 and Beyond. Koster’s essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and other outlets including “Cantor Fitzgerald Bids Adieu to a 9/11 Survivor” which appeared in The Wall Street Journal on September 11, 2024.

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