Mumbai (AsiaNews) - 25 rabbis from across Asia today joined the Jewish community of Mumbai to celebrate the re-opening of the "Chabad House" Cultural Centre and pay tribute to the memory of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivky (pictured), together with 4 other people who died during the terrible terrorist attacks of 26 November 2008. The couple's son Moshe, then 2 years of age, survived thanks to his Indian nanny Sandra, who defended him from the assailants.
Now the building complex will also have a museum: "We are very happy with the re-opening - said a resident - and we hope that now the police will pay attention to every threat. The relatives of the victims have suffered a lot". Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, a member of the Orthodox Chabad-Lubavitch movement (which supported the renovations), says: "This project is a seed of light and hope, reminding us how we can survive even the most terrible of challenges. Evil will not prevail".
The Center will be led by Rabbi Yisroel Kozlovsky and his wife Chaya: both have made it clear that they "will continue the work of Gabi and Rivky". All activities in progress before the attack "will resume as they had planned, and with God's help, we can expand them". Born in 2003, the Chabad was designed to meet the religious needs of Israeli citizens visiting Mumbai, businessmen on frequent visits and of course the small local Jewish community.