by Chana Brauser ('10)

In the wake of last week's Mumbai terror attacks, Jews across the world have been mourning the deaths of two prominent Chabad Shlichim, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, as well as the hundreds of other victims. The Mumbai Chabad House was one of the various targets the terrorists specifically sought out, and the Holtzbergs, as well as all their guests, were held hostage for two days before the police managed to gain control of the building and identify the dead bodies. While their two-year-old son was smuggled out of the building by a loyal nanny, none of the others managed to escape.

Students were privileged to hear from Rabbi Yanky Denberg, a local Chabad Rabbi who knew and had worked with the Holtzbergs during his time in Bangalore, India. Rabbi Denberg shared stirring recollections of the Holtzbergs' dedication and utter selflessness during their years in Mumbai. He described the Chabad house as an "oasis" in the middle of an otherwise decrepit and dirty city, a beautifully renovated haven for local and visiting Jews. In fact, he noted, the entire house was tastefully redone with no expense spared, leaving only the top floor, the Holtzbergs' tiny bedrooms, in their original poor condition. The Holtzbergs provided meals twice daily for the guests constantly circulating in and out, and dedicated the entire house as a public space, giving themselves hardly any privacy.

Ultimately, Rabbi Denberg admitted that while we can never truly understand why this tragedy occurred, we can only learn from the victims' selflessness and compassion. Perhaps, he suggested, we can leave our own "comfort zones" every once in a while, to help one another, and try to embody even a fraction of their benevolence and respect for each and every Jewish soul. Everyone in the audience was truly touched to hear such a personal account of these heroes.