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Chabad-Lubavitch Officials Hold Press Conference

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — Chabad-Lubavitch leadership called a press conference announcing the confirmation of the tragic news of the murder of the Chabad Shluchim Rabbi Gavriel and his wife Rivkah Holtzberg. Walking into the conference was Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, flanked by Police Commissioner Raymond Kelley and Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky.

More pictures in the Extended Article.

Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky said, “With profound sadness and deep sorrow, we received the definitive news, just a short while ago, confirming the brutal murder of two of our finest, Rabbi Gavriel Noach, 29, and Rivkah Holtzberg, 26, our dear representatives in Mumbai, India, who served their community with love and devotion.”

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly spoke about the effect terrorism has worldwide, when terror strikes halfway around the globe and it reverberates so strongly back here at home.

Rabbi Holtzberg “was the finest and kindest gentlemen you could imagine,” the vice chairman of Chabad’s education arm, Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, said. He recounted the last phone conversation Holtzberg had with the Israeli Embassy, on Wednesday night, shortly after the center was taken over by the terrorists. “He said, ‘The situation is not good,’” recalled Kotlarsky. “And then he was cut off.”

Eyes glinting with tears and choking back cries, Rabbi Kotlarsky said “we are going to miss him very dearly; he was a very very special person, he and his wife.” Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin then took reporters’ questions to the Police Commissioner and Rabbi Krinsky.

Rabbi Shmotkin also identified two other victims as Bentzion Chroman, an Israeli with dual U.S. citizenship, and Leibish Teitlebaum, an American from Brooklyn. He said a fifth victim was an unidentified Israeli woman.

The Holtzbegrs have a second son, who was ailing, staying with relatives in Israel when the attack occurred. Their third child died earlier this year of a degenerative genetic disease.

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11 Comments

  • m zak

    i am so sad for the bubbys and zaidys may hashem give them strength to go on

    hashem should have rachmaness on all of us and send mashiach b’karev mamesh

    a gooten shabbos and a gooten choidesh

  • John M. O-Malley

    While not Jewish, the prayers of our family are with you all, and for the wonderful Rabbi and his wife in Mumbai.May the dear Lord keep them and help the Jewish community.

    Dr. & Mrs. J. O’Malley
    Houston, TX

  • abe

    Fortunately this generation has not lived through the horror and evil of the Holocaust.

    Sadly this is their indoctrination.

  • cmi / israel

    baruch dayan emet
    lihilu nishmat rivkah and gavriel and my grandfather daniel ben kakabra , i will do “oufaraxta” to the people in keriat shmona b”h by gathering the kids here to say tehillim load and clear she aveenu she ba shmayim yishma et col tfilateitnu
    !
    mashiach NOW!

  • Kenny brunelli

    Humanity will not allow the deaths in Mumbai to be in vain. The desperate and senseless actions of a few have shown all of us that we can not allow anyone to be singled out and that we all live in the same World. Mankind can only learn from such horrendous events what it takes for granted and true human spirit will always prevail over the misguided and ruthless few.
    My prayers and thoughts are with your community and the grieving families,
    Sincerely,
    Kenny Brunelli, NYC

  • B. Diane Gibson

    Tho I am a Buddhist for many years a best friend (Henry Meller)now deceased 3 years always praised your organization and worked with it in north NJ. Through him I received a fine understanding of your work and it breaks my heart what has happened. I have put your dear ones into my daily prayers.

    Thank you so very much for all you do for the communities with your outreach and openness, it certainly means alot.
    Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

  • Vivian and Josh Corey Friends of Chabad

    Gavriel and Rifky are in Gan Eden and there lives are a Kiddush Hashem. The Holtzberg and Rosenberg families have experienced many tragedies in their lives.May the Ribbono Shel Olam grant them comfort in their grief and may they know no more suffering.

  • friend

    good to see that officer David Wadler still comes around.I’m just wondering as to why his crown heights friends are not being told that he is getting married this week.(why such a Secret?) is it only for the police department to know?