Remembering Heroes: The Tragic Attack on Mumbai's Chabad House
On this day, the 29th of Cheshvan, we remember the tragic loss of Gabi and Rivka Holtzberg, z"l, who were killed 12 years ago in the Mumbai terror attacks.
- דבי רייכמן
- פורסם כ"ט חשון התשפ"א
Mumbai (Photo: Shutterstock) #VALUE!
The Chabad House in Mumbai was renowned during its four years of existence as a large and welcoming center. Jewish tourists and travelers, particularly from Israel, would visit and enjoy the warm hospitality of the emissary couple, Gabi and Rivka Holtzberg. On the 28th of Cheshvan 5769, ten Pakistani terrorists launched a coordinated attack on several locations in the southern part of Mumbai, India, marking the beginning of a two-and-a-half-day terror assault that claimed 207 lives.
During the attack, the terrorists also targeted the Chabad House in the city. It is believed that on the second day of the assault, the 29th of Cheshvan 5769, Gabi and Rivka Holtzberg z"l were brutally murdered. Their bodies were only recovered a day later when military forces managed to storm the building.
The Holtzbergs' son, Moishe, who was only two years old at the time, survived thanks to his Indian nanny, who bravely rescued him under fire.
Several years following the terror attack, the Chabad House reopened at the same location.
