New York Artists Memorialize Mumbai Attacks Through Song

Putting an East Village touch on the first anniversary of the terror attacks in Mumbai, India, approximately 100 Jewish New Yorkers packed a room at the city’s Meaningful Life Center to memorialize the lives of slain Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg through music and contemplative lyrics.

The evening gathering last week drew a cross section of the community, from Jewish hipsters and young professionals to middle-aged spiritual seekers. Many, like designer Freida Stock, knew of the Holtzbergs – who perished alongside four of their guests when gunmen stormed their Chabad House – only from news reports and countless stories circulated online and around Shabbat tables. But one year after the attacks, they still felt connected to events that transpired half a world away.

“Although I never knew Gabi and Rivky personally,” said Stock, “I personally felt the tragedy, and want to remember them.”

Featuring Queens native Moshe Hecht, the musical tribute included emerging artists from across the metropolitan area. Sporting a white shirt and Russian-style cap, Hecht performed “Lamplighters,” a song he composed in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.

From his perch atop a stool on stage, Hecht explained that the lyrics were inspired by an answer that the Fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Sholom DovBer, offered one of his disciples in 1907 when asked for the definition of a Chasid.

“A Chasid is a lamplighter,” said the Rebbe. “He takes the torch and travels around the world, through dark streets illuminating the way so that people will have direction.”

“That is precisely what Gabi and Rivky were doing in Mumbai,” emphasized Hecht, the 12th of 14 children, who are all involved in some way or another in Chabad activities around the world.

Article Continued at Chabad.org – Language of the Soul