More than nine years after Pakistani terrorists killed 166 people and injured over 300 others in the 26/11 attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday visited one of the terror targets “Chabad House” and joined survivor Moshe Holtzberg in unveiling plans for a state-of-the-art Living Memorial to commemorate the victims. Netanyahu spoke enthusiastically about his country’s ties with India, calling it a partnership “made in heaven”.
Netanyahu, who sported the ‘kippah’, the trademark Jewish small brimless cloth cap, was accorded a warm welcome by co-directors of Chabad-Lubavitch of Mumbai Rabbi Israel and Chaya Kozlovsky on his arrival at the Jewish outreach centre, Chabad House — known popularly as Nariman House.
Eleven-year-old bespectacled Moshe, in a dark suit and kippah, read out a brief welcome speech for the Israeli Prime Minister, as his Indian nanny Sandra Samuel, paternal grandparents, Nachman Holtzberg and Frieda Holtzberg, and maternal grandparents, Shimon Rosenberg and Yehudit Rosenberg, and uncle Moshe Holtzberg watched him.
Holding onto both Moshe and Samuel, flanked on his left and right side respectively, Netanyahu posed for photographs.
The Israeli Prime Minister unveiled a plaque in memory of Moshe’s parents, Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg.
The Chabad House is a unique blend of love and hatred towards the people of Israel, Netanyahu said. He was addressing people at the Chabad House after meeting Moshe. “This place is a unique merge between love for Israeli people and the hatred towards the people of Israel.
The nation of Israel is known for salvation,” Netanyahu told the gathering in Hebrew.
Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg were among the people killed in the November 26-29, 2008 Pakistani fidayeen attacks on five Mumbai terror targets, including two five-star hotels, a popular café, a train terminus and the Jewish learning centre “Nariman House”.
Moshe, then a two-year old child, had been rescued by 44-year-old housemaid Sandra Samuel on November 28, 2008, after the two terrorists killed his parents and four others at the Nariman House.
At Thursday’s commemorative function, Moshe Holtzberg’s two grandmothers lit an “eternal flame” in remembrance of the victims.
Addressing an excited private audience of family and well-wishers, Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “What happened here represents the polar opposites of love and hate, the hatred perpetrated by the terrorists, but it also expressed tremendous love. The love of your parents Gabi and Rivky to you Moshe, and the love that is expressed by the Chabad House here in Mumbai and the love that is expressed by the embracing and loving attitude of the Chabad emissaries around the world which embraces and provides a loving home for every Jew around the world.”
Moshe, who had earlier on Tuesday visited Nariman House for the first time after his parents were killed in the 26/11 attacks, was all ears when Netanyahu delivered a brief address in Hebrew.
Moshe now lives in Israel with his grandparents and Sandra who moved with him after the Mumbai mayhem to take care of the orphaned child. The Israeli Government honoured her with the title of ‘Righteous Gentile’, the highest award presented to non-Jews, and allowed her an extended stay in that country.
During his address, the Israeli Prime Minister looked at Moshe fondly and thanked him for hosting him and taking him around his residence inside Chabad House where he lived as a child.
“The terrorists could not get to the (then) two-year old Moshe due to the love of his nanny Sandra. Your parents showed love to people, welcomed all to the Chabad House, provided for every Jew home,” Netanyahu said.
In a beautifully embossed Guest Book, the visiting Israeli Prime Minister later wrote: “To the Chabad House of Mumbai. Continue in your holy work as instructed by the Rebbe, to kindle light, to banish the darkness, and to spread Ahavat Yisrael - Love of your fellow, in this place and all over! In memory of Rabbi Gavriel and Mrs Rivka Holtzberg, of blessed memory, whose memory we revere”.
After signing the guest book, Netanyahu recounted how the Lubavitcher Rebbe had told him to kindle light and thus to expel the darkness, for such is the nature of light. “When one kindles even but one candle it has the power to banish much darkness,” he said.
Designed to educate and inspire people of all backgrounds to act for the betterment of themselves, their communities and the world, the Living Memorial will turn a spotlight on the lives of the Holtzbergs, and the ideals and values that catalysed them to pursue lives benefiting humanity.
Speaking on occasion, the Rabbi Israel Kozlovsky said: “We are excited and humbled to host Moshe and his nanny Sandra Samuel, for their first visit to Nariman House since 2008. We feel blessed and honoured to be together on this day with Prime Minister Netanyahu, who graciously accepted our invite to unveil plans for the Living Memorial”.
“The Living Memorial will not only be a fitting tribute to the victims who fell prey to the bullets of the terrorists; it will inspire the belief that every individual has the ability and responsibility to make the world a better place,” Kozlovsky said.
The Living Memorial, being developed by Chabad of India Trust, will incorporate the apartment where the Holtzbergs lived, as well as the floor where most of the murders occurred. On the top floor where the sites of the other terror attacks that swept through Mumbai are visible, a reflection garden will offer a serene spot recognising all the victims of the attacks.
Set to be inaugurated on November 26, 2018 to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the memorial will be open to visitors of all backgrounds and faiths, from India and around the world.