The 9/11 Living Memorial Plaza in Jerusalem is a monument formed by the State of Israel to commemorate the most significant terrorist attack in the history of the U.S. It is the only memorial outside the U.S. to list all the names of the nearly 3000 victims, which includes five Israelis. The central monument is a 30-foot-tall cenotaph shaped like the American flag, fluttering upwards and transforming into a flame.

The black metal sculpture combines a shard from New York’s Twin Towers in its base. Opened to the public in 2009, the 9/11 Memorial Plaza is set on a lush hill opposite Jerusalem’s main road from Tel Aviv. Locals and tourists reaching the city face a poignant reminder of radical Islam, terrorism, and the solid Israeli-American alliance in fighting it.

In 2018, a new plaque was added in the plaza in memory of the 11 victims of the shooting in a synagogue in Pittsburgh in the same year.

Touring the Jerusalem 9/11 Living Memorial Plaza

Although the plaza is opposite Israel’s busiest highway, road 1, only one winding paved road leads to it. It is a 10 minutes scenic drive from the northern end of Begin Boulevard through the pastoral Arazim Valley. Aside from the memorial, the site also offers stunning vistas of the outskirts of Jerusalem.

A tour of the 9/11 living memorial can be combined with a guided day tour of Jerusalem.