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Chicago Tribute and Memorial to the Mumbai Massacre Victims

SKOKIE, IL [CHI] — In an amazing show of unity and solidarity more than 1300 people packed into a Skokie Hotel for the Chicago Jewish Community’s Memorial Evening of Tribute and Solidarity on Wednesday evening, 7 Kislev. The distinguished guest list included Rabbonim and Roshei Yeshiva, prominent politicians, and dignitaries from many organizations. Guest speakers included Harav Gedaliah Dov Schwartz ,Av Beis Din of Chicago Rabbinical Council, Dr. Steven Nasitir President of the Jewish Federation and Gershon Kedar the Deputy Consul General of Israel to the Midwest.

More pictures in the Extended Article.

Many wept openly at the incantation of the memorial prayer and as seven memorial candles were kindled by friends, local relatives of the victims and Government representatives.

Rabbi Daniel Moscowitz, regional director of Lubavitch Chabad of Illinois, read a letter from President –elect Barack Obama and then passionately encouraged the assembled to use the inspiration of the moment to add light to the world. Hundreds filled out Mitzvah pledge cards which Rabbi Moscowitz is bringing to Israel this weekend when he visits all the grieving families. He is also bringing 250 letters of comfort written by students in the Jewish day schools in Chicago. Close to a thousand Friday Light kits were distributed to be used the participants as part of citywide wide Mivtza Neshek campaign.

Through the sadness and the tears a great sense of renewed commitment and invigorated spirit prevailed. Each speaker declared the community’s resolve to fight hatred with love and banish the darkness with light. A highlight of the evening was the showing of the JEM video about the lives of the Rabbi Gabi & Rivkie Holtzberg.

Before the formal program began a press conference was held with the participation of Rabbi Moscowitz, Mr. Ira Pilitz a traveler to Mumbai and Rabbi Yochanan Posner a classmate of Rabbi Holtzberg.

In an e-mail after the event a Chabad supporter wrote: “Wow! An amazing tribute…class, emotion, dignity and inspiration. D. W. sat next to me crying his eyes out. The video was excellent. You assembled all the right people. Chabad was showcased in the spotlight and it made me proud to be associated with such a wonderful organization”.

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10 Comments

  • bottom line

    Nice, but checks are better than letters if we are going to build that chabadhouse again and take care of moishe and other families.

  • kevad laiv

    We are all pained by this terrible terrible trangedy. No words can express our pain to see our fellow brother shaliach suffer and give up their lives altz mesiras nefesh.Every yid is pained by this.
    When something like this happens, its a time for more achdus, unity. Barchainu Avinu kulanu keachad.
    As some of us shluchim have joined together andmade memorials and others are still making, to express our pain and make hachlatois tov. All of us are pained. But unfortunately some shluchim in California, Chicago, Florida, New Jersey etc. are doing their memorials separately, either in their chabad houses or in their homes or where ever they may be. If we are doing it altogether to show the aybishter that we are one family. We need to be careful not to hurt others as we are doing good.

    Why are they alone because they are unfortunately they are no more welcome into the shluchims family , by a head shaliach of a state or area. Every head shaliach or head of an area, know the emes, knows if they pushed out someone else or mistreated one person to get in another person or did things in a dishonest way. We don’t want to dwell on this. when these neshamos look down and the aybishter and Rebbe look down and see a bunch of shluchim making a memorial and a group of shluchim around are being left out because of not emesdike ways of dealing with everything, what will they think?

    We are all pained by it and there should be a unity. If not now When. Ad Masai? And if the heads wont do it, let the shluchim do it. Some memorials have already taken place and you have loads of shluchim there who are not talking to each other. How painful. When will this end. We are not talking about people who just
    pushed their way in. Some of these shluchim have received a brocha from the rebbes mouth to become a shaliach. Who live a life of mesiras nefesh. Its time to begin from the inside. How can we do a memorial and not think about the shaliach next door who is not welcome because of dishonesty. Lets show the aybishter our achdus?
    Lets make changes now.

  • anonymous

    I was there in Chicago last night, a very inspiring and appropiate evening to honor the memories of these Kedoshim. As a visitor from overseas I was thankful to be albe to join with others to pat tribute to these victims.

  • Emes

    kevad laiv may be onto something here; especially in Chicago. Peulo was a major kiddush Lubavitch but charity starts at home. Too many of anash have been disenfranchised from the shluchim and no efforts have been made to demonstrate true achdus and respect for one and other. Enough with the toffel, how about some ikar – tachlis?! How about some chassidus maase bepoel?! Wake up to the emes!!!

  • student

    i was there last night and it was amazing- the whole community all together, frum and non frum jews, lubavitch and non lubavitch, mesivta, and lghs. ALL B’ACHDUS! WITH ALL OF THIS ACHDUS AND BEUTIFUL STUFF, MOSHIACH SHOULD COME RIGHT NOW!!

  • Student

    I was also there last night and it was really cool veryone was there sharing the pain adn crying together. moshaich NOW

  • kevad laiv and Emes - get a life!!!

    I was also there last night and the even was an unbelievable kiddush hashem. the place was jammed standing room only. People had to watch from an outside room with a separate video screen. I am very disturbed to see that people find negativity amidst such achdus. I walked into the grocery store today and the only thing people are talking about (even the oilemeshe and litvishe) was the amazing show of unity of all facets of the Chicago Jewish community. Those people who you claim “couldn’t come” should’ve come on their own and been there. NO ONE would stop them they would be MORE THAN WELCOME like the other 1300 people who came. You should be embarrased of your stupidity.

  • just wonderin

    umm…. r u sure that people werent welcome here?? maybe the people who didnt show up didnt want to because i would put allmy money on it, that @ this time a shliach would tell someone they cant come 2 the memorial!?!?

  • Chicagoan

    WE NEED MOSHIACH NOW AD MOSAI!!!!!!!??????!!!!!!
    do all you can to bring Moshiach!!!!
    it’s irrelevant whether you came or not!!!!!
    the main thing is to make hachlatos have simcha say tehillim BRING MOSHIACH NOW!!!!!!