KINGSTON, PA — Malka Seewald and her husband, Rabbi Mendy Seewald, opened their Rutter Avenue home to more than 40 people on Friday and prepared a traditional Jewish Sabbath feast in memory of those killed last week in the Mumbai, India, terrorist attacks.
Traditional Jewish Feast held in Memory of Terror Victims
KINGSTON, PA — Malka Seewald and her husband, Rabbi Mendy Seewald, opened their Rutter Avenue home to more than 40 people on Friday and prepared a traditional Jewish Sabbath feast in memory of those killed last week in the Mumbai, India, terrorist attacks.
They especially wanted to honor the legacy of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rifka, who were gunned down inside the Jewish community center where they lived and worked. The Holtzbergs’ 2-year-old son, Moshe, escaped with his nanny.
“Her father said at her funeral to do good deeds in her memory,” Malka Seewald said of Rifka Holtzberg.
The Holtzbergs ran a Chabad house, or Jewish outreach center, in Mumbai. They prepared traditional kosher Sabbath meals for weary Jewish travelers and gave them a place to sleep. Every Friday night, they would have 20 to 40 people at their table, Mendy Seewald said.
The Holtzbergs went to great lengths to prepare a Sabbath meal, said Malka’s sister, Chanie Spalter. Every week, Rifka Holtzberg prepared 200 kosher chickens and made 400 pounds of Halta, a traditional Sabbath bread, Spalter said.
Malka Seewald thought the best way to honor their memory was to prepare a similar meal. The idea came to her over breakfast on Thursday, said Rabbi Seewald, the principal at the Bais Menachem, a private school for Jewish boys on South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Malka Seewold invited every Jewish woman she knew to light Shabbat candles in the Holtzbergs’ memory. She and her husband encouraged everyone in attendance to participate in the ritual.
“The lighting of the candles is just one of the ways that we mark the start of the Shabbat,” said Rabbi Roger Lerner, of Temple B’nai B’rith.
The Shabbat, or Sabbath, begins at sundown on Friday and lasts until sundown on Saturday, Lerner said. Strict observers are forbidden to do any work during that time.
In a traditional Jewish home, the woman of the house is tasked with lighting the candles. She lights one for each member of her family.
The candles are a symbol of peace and tranquility, and serve as a reminder of the spiritual significance of the Sabbath. After sundown, the candles cannot be extinguished.
Militants stormed three luxury hotels in Mumbai on Nov. 26-29. The three-day siege in India’s financial capital left 171 dead and 239 wounded, according to The Associated Press.
The surviving gunman, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, told Indian authorities the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba sent him, although a group leader said his organization does not believe in killing civilians, The Associated Press reported.
The group reportedly used an Indian national to scout terrorist targets in Mumbai.
proud friend
You seewalds are incredible!!! Good on you!!!! keep up the great work!!! it’s extremely important to contuine the great work of the holtzbergs!! you should contuine with much success!!
wow
I think that is Malka Seewald lighting the candle!
00
halta… lol!
Ellie
To WOW:That is chanie spalter lighting the candle, not Malka.
Woohoo chanie!!!!! :)
ch-er
As we know one of the most fascinating p arts of the story of terror in Mumbai was the rescue of Moshele by the Indian nanny.
lets look at her name the first name is Sandra the last is Samule
the Hebrew version of Samule is Shmuel which as you know means the name of Hashem
the name of hashem that is used to (rescue and) protects us is the name of Shaka”i shin daled yud
Shomer Dalsois Yisroel
if you look at the letters the gematria is 314 the same as Sandra.
The hashgacha proties (based on this gematria) is the name of hashen shin daled yud with the shliach as Sandra Samule.
Hatzlache raba;
p.s. I respect your thoughts and comments.
HaKaros HaTov
You know, I must give a big Yasher Koach to the frum
newspapers, whose readership typically disagree with Chabad.
However, the tragic events which befell the Holtzbergs, Krumin, Teitelbaum, and the rest – these publications covered the Holtzbergs and Chabad, especially, the Yated Ne’eman, which wrote about it in lengthy and thorough detail! I think, the achdus this horrible event brought about makes us, for sure, worthy of Moshiach now.
In the 8 Kislev publication of the Yated, Rabbi Lipshutz
(the editor) writes as follows:
“Last week, 4,200 Chabad shluchim gathered in New York to celebrate their accomplishments and dedication. This week, no one is celebrating.
…After the atrocities…all of us are more united.
Today, the shluchim sit in their outposts around the world and
mourn the loss of a couple who gave their lives al Kiddush Hashem.
…Jews everywhere join in mourning the senseless slaughter of beloved, exemplary Jews…
We ought to realize that while we view the world with different perspectives, the ties that bind us are stronger than our differences…
When one of us is targeted, we are all under attack.”
A Friend
To WOW and Ellie:
Chanie is Malka’s sister…
PA
to WOW
malka and chani look very similar – i also thought it was malka at first!
Seewalds – great job, you are doing amazing things!