Posted to Notices on

Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, the beloved directors of Chabad-Lubavitch of Mumbai, were killed during one of the worst terrorist attacks to strike India in recent memory.

Jewish communities around the world reacted with shock to the loss of the couple, who were killed Thursday at their Chabad House during an apparent standoff between Indian military forces and terrorists.

Their toddler son, Moshe, managed to escape with his nanny some hours before Indian commandos stormed their building, known as the Nariman House, in the popular touristy neighborhood of Colaba. The Associated Press reported that the boy was unharmed, but was wearing blood-soaked pants.

Levaya information will be posted as soon as it becomes available.

Boruch Dayan Hoemes.

Boruch Dayan Hoemes – Shluchim Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg OBM

Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, the beloved directors of Chabad-Lubavitch of Mumbai, were killed during one of the worst terrorist attacks to strike India in recent memory.

Jewish communities around the world reacted with shock to the loss of the couple, who were killed Thursday at their Chabad House during an apparent standoff between Indian military forces and terrorists.

Their toddler son, Moshe, managed to escape with his nanny some hours before Indian commandos stormed their building, known as the Nariman House, in the popular touristy neighborhood of Colaba. The Associated Press reported that the boy was unharmed, but was wearing blood-soaked pants.

Levaya information will be posted as soon as it becomes available.

Boruch Dayan Hoemes.

Related Articles

35 Comments

  • My tears are flowing....

    Hashem, PLEASE, this cannot be!!! I canot stop crying for these holy Neshomas. We cannot have any more of this Golus.

  • out of towner

    with a sad heart – the poor little boy & his grandparents.
    Baruch Dayan Emes. I am too distraught to work.

  • CHT

    These are probably the first Shluchim of the Rebbe that were killed on the line of duty since Stalinist regime.

  • He is now our child...

    Perhaps a fund can be established to care for the toddler who has now been orphaned of two parents. While the world has focused it’s attention on this child today, tomorrow he will remain an orphan. Something should be established immediately, while the world is still watching and people are still touched enough to act.

  • Enough already!

    I couldn’t sleep all night just thinking about this couple and saying Tehilim.
    I feel so sick about this!
    May hashem avenge their neshomos!
    Ad Mosai!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • no name

    I truly believed until the very end they would come out of this unharmed. I have no words. let’s not think of their beauiful boy as a orphan, an orphan is a child that has no one left to take care of or love them, this child Borach Hashem, has many people in his life that will take care of him and love him. Ad Mosai!

  • oyyy

    baruch dayan haemes… cant stop crying… cant get over it… this is terrible.. moshiach where are you?!!??!

  • Ed Greenberg

    My condolences (such a cold impersonal phrase — but all I have) to all who mourn this tragedy. May their souls be bound up immediately in heaven, and may we all come through the experience, taking away the best, most holy lessons… and may all the mourners know only simchas from here on.

    My love to all the Chabad community in this time of sorrow.

  • ve ha chai yitein el libo

    This young couple were literally moser nefesh for the Rebbe. Let’s do something that will take some mesirus nefesh on our part in their memory. Whatever is difficult for you that will require mesirus nefesh from you on your level. The Rebbe taught us not to wring our hands, but ve ha chai yitein el libo.

  • janet and henry waxman

    Congressman Henry and Janet Waxman express condolences to the families, friends, and community of the beloved
    Rabbi and Rebbetzim Holtzman. May you be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

  • anonymous

    this painfully reminds us that we are vulnerable as yiddin, and that much greater was the mesiras nefesh of this beautiful couple to live proudly as yiddin in a 3rd world country. we should learn from them and gather strength from their strength to live as proud yiddin here in the US, and try to do the Rebbes work…that sounds like the way to honor these righteous people.
    –and set up a fund for this child…tell me where to write the check.

  • anonymous

    the crazy thing is that this time yesterday i didnt even know about the hostage situation, and now my heart is broken in a million different places…i didn’t even know them personally, but it feels like they were my family…how do we move on?

  • sad

    as if the grand perants havnt had enoagh the holtzbergs have a sick child on a respitater in isreal a chil passed away and now the pernats passed away and the poor child will never know his mommy and totty he was cryng bc he wanted his mommy and totty to tuck him into bed

  • Lets do a mitsvah in their honer

    Rav Paltiel, a Chabad shaliach on Long Island appeared on CNN this morning.
    He spoke of how great was the Torah knowledge of Rav Holtzberg. He could have spent his time writing seforim, or been a Rosh Yeshiva. Instead, he chose to go all the way to India to help people.
    He mentioned that tomorrow, Shabbat, is the birthday of the 2 year old son of the shaliach, Moshe, who escaped with the nanny. He asked that everyone honor Moshe’s birthday with acts of kindness, putting on Tefillin, and giving charity.

  • PA

    I think the best “revenge” is to proactively and without hesitation support the Chabad House of Mumbai. Although times are tough economically, I will be iy’h writting a check to that Chabad House and will assit whomever is sent their to fill the big shoes left by Rabbi Holtzberg.

  • lindy

    “Their toddler son, Moshe, managed to escape with his nanny ” No–the nanny rescued him–please correct this. She should be considered a righteous gentile.

  • AUSTRALIAN TRAVELERS

    WE AM JEWISH BUT CERTAINLY NOT RELIGIOUS, WE ARE SO SAD END BY WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN INDIA . CHABAD DO A AMAZING JOB AND ARE KIND WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO EXCEPT US ALL NOT MATTER WHAT OUR LEVELS OF OBSERVANCE AND TRY TO MAKE OUR WORLD A MORE PURE AND FOR- FILING PLACE. CHABAD IS THE FIRST PLACE WE WILL HEAD WHEN WE ARE OVER SEAS FORM AUSTRALIA FOR SOME JEWISH COMPANY.. PLEASE ACCEPT OUR KINDNESS AND PRAYERS WE ARE SAYING FOR THE YOUNG COUPLE.

  • Sandra Kesselman / Jerry Pawl

    Our heartfelt condolences to Lubavtich of New York, the parents of Rabbi Gavriel and Rifka Holtzberg and to all of us. Today we stand as one people. We are all Chasidim.
    Sandra Kesselman / Jerry Pawl
    Salt Lake City, Utah

  • Baruch dayen emes!!

    OY BARUCH DAYEN EMES!!
    HASHEM HASHEM KEL RACHUM V’CHANUN!!!!
    EVERYONE, THIS SADDENS US VERY MUCH, BUT TODAY IS HAPPY DAY…ROSH CHODESH KISLEV! SO LETS POUR OUT OUR HEARTS AND DAVEN TO HASHEM THAT THIS SHOULD BE A GOOD HAPPY SAFE AND HEALTHY MONTH (AND A GOOD YEAR) FOR ALL OF KLAL YISRAEL!! EVERYONE, THIS SHABBOS SAY TEHILLIM, AND HAVE IN MIND THAT THE TEHILLIM IS BEING SAID FOR AN ALIAH TO ALL THE YIDDEN R”L THAT WERE KILLED IN THIS TRAGEDY. AD MOSAI?!?! HASHEM!!! AD MOSAI!! WE NEED MOSHIACH NOW!!!! WE ALL HOPE THAT THIS SHOULD BE A HAPPY, SAFE & HEALTHY YEAR FOR ALL OF KLAL YISRAEL. A GUTTEN CHODESH, A GUT SHABBOS. AD MOSAI?!!?

  • Galus H8er

    oy, this is terrible!!
    the saddest part is that this special family lost a precious child just this year, while another child is in a special hospital in Israel. Last night, the 1 year old child was screaming “Mommy, read me a story” oy nebach!! ad mosai!!!!!!!!!!! hashem? how much longer? send us moshiach already!! how much more galus can one nation handle? Hashem listen to our cries, and bring us out of this terrible galus! Oy!! baruch dayen emes………..
    A gut chodesh to all of klak yisrael. This should be a good month with saftey, parnasah, happiness, and health to ALL of Klal Yisrael. Ad mosai!?

  • Paul Glassman

    This brings tears of anger to my very soul. May Hashem deal with the blood spilled by these uncivilized animals.

  • Bella

    Moshiach NOW! Let our prayers be heard by Hashem and take these two wonderful people’s lives as an example to live by.

    B’H …we will all go on, as we always have, stronger and more determined to live our lives as yidden.