Wilmington, Del. – In response to the recent terrorist attack in Mumbai, India, the victims of the tragedy were remembered in a memorial service held at Chabad Lubavitch of Delaware in Wilmington last Tuesday evening, Dec. 9. Delaware Gov.-elect Jack Markell, and Lt. Gov.-elect, Matt Denn, were among the many officials who attended.  Chabad spiritual leader, Rabbi Chuni Vogel said, “At a time of such tragedy and sorrow, we come together as one family … We mourn all of the victims of this attack, our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and all the injured in the carnage.”

In a prepared email statement inviting the community to attend the event last week, he added, “Those murdered at the Chabad Center were singled out for who they were – and they are us. The memorial service [paid] … tribute to a very special couple who gave so much to so many and who were brutally cut down at a young age. [The victims’] selflessness and care for every individual is a powerful example of love and humanity.” The ceremony shared memories and experiences of the victims, a prayer service and a video presentation.

Rabbi Vogel added in his correspondence to the community the details of the tragedy: “Among the targets of the terrorist attack was Mumbai’s Chabad Center, the director of the Mumbai Center, Rabbi Gavriel Holzberg, 29, and his wife Rivka, 27, who were brutally murdered in the attack, along with several others who were in the Center at the time the attack began. Their two-year-old son, Moshe, was saved by his nanny, who managed to smuggle him out of the building.

“The Mumbai Chabad Center was established by Rabbi and Mrs. Holtzberg six years ago to serve the spiritual needs of Jews living in or traveling through Mumbai. Over the years, they touched many thousands of lives through their gemilut chesed – works of loving-kindness.  Their home and Center was a constant hub of activity for the local community, as well as for tourists and those on business.

“Rabbi and Mrs. Holtzberg went to Mumbai inspired by the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory. They were part of the global Chabad-Lubavitch network of more than 4,000 emissary families in 47 U.S. states and 73 countries around the world.”

Rabbi Eliezer Sneiderman of the Chabad House, University of Delaware, in Newark, commented earlier in the week concerning the tragedy: “The Holzbergs were exemplars of Chabad. They personified Judaism. They shared their lives and accepted visitors 24/7. They lived in a foreign place without the amenities that enrich a Jewish life. They served meals to large numbers of guests, not just on Thanksgiving or Passover – or even Shabbat. The Chabad House was the only outlet for kosher food in a city of 18 million people. Everything had to be made from scratch. They never turned anyone away.”

He added, “I read in a post from a student that stayed there, that while the Chabad House guest quarters had marble floors and air- conditioning, the Holzberg's private residence had peeling paint and lacked proper furnishings. Here is a couple that lived entirely for others. They had no free time or entertainment budget. They sacrificed their lives for the Jewish people long before terrorists arrived at their door.”

For more information, contact: Rabbi Chuni Vogel, Chabad Lubavitch of Delaware at 302-529-9900 or Rabbi Eliezer Sneiderman, Chabad House, University of Delaware at 302-455-1800.