Amy Randel
New York, NY
This Shabbat marks a day to remember. This Friday the world is commemorating the first anniversary of the infamous terrorist attack in Mumbai, India, in which 173 people were killed and at least 308 additional were wounded. The attacks were on more than ten coordinated strikes over a period of three days, targeting largely places frequented by westerners. Among them, the famous Taj Palace hotel, Leopold Cafe and of course the Chabad house of Mumbai. Friday’s worldwide day of remembrance, an effort coordinated by Chabad, seeks to remember two very special lives lost, those of Rabbi Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg.
On the Chabad website, a very touching memorial seeks to keep alive the memory of two people that gave up everything they knew to be a beacon of Judaism to Mumbai. By the countless reflections and stories on the site it is quickly clear these two were special individuals. They gave their home unselfishly; they welcomed people with open arms, from all around the world to share in the joy they took from Judaism. Looking through the photo’s and seeing the amazing work they did, while remembering they are not really so much older than I am, is really inspiring.
I had read the headlines about these attacks last year, but admittedly had not read into them any more than a passing empathy. When I found out last April that I would be travelling with a Jewish organization to India, they resurfaced in my conscious with the heap of pleadings from my family that I please avoid Mumbai. When I arrived in India I was so caught up in the sensory overload that they could not have been further from my thoughts. Even during the time I spent in Mumbai, just blocks from their home, my real understanding of the atrocity was vague at best. Only after returning home, and missing the adventure of India, did I begin to learn about this tragedy, and how much time I had spent in its wake.
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