Rebuilding Nariman House: Memorial on third floor, synagogue on second

The central office of the Jewish Chabad-Lubavitch movement in New York has announced specific plans for rebuilding Nariman House in Mumbai, nearly two years after it was attacked by terrorists on November 26, 2008.

The central office of the Jewish Chabad-Lubavitch movement in New York has announced specific plans for rebuilding Nariman House in Mumbai, nearly two years after it was attacked by terrorists on November 26, 2008.

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In a press note on Tuesday, the Chabad office said that the top floor of Nariman House will be turned into a memorial dedicated to Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka, who lost their lives in the attack.

The Holtzberg couple ran a Jewish community centre and kosher kitchen in the Colaba building. The press release did not state a date for completing the renovations.

The building’s fourth floor will house a memorial for victims of terror.

“This is not only a personal tragedy but a collective tragedy, not only for Jews but for all who are victims of terrorism around the world. This memorial will reflect that,” said Rabbi Yosef C Kantor, the Chabad official responsible for the rebuilding effort in Mumbai.

“We will not allow the terrorists to end the legacy of the Holtzbergs’ work,” said Kantor. “This includes ensuring that when their son, Moshe, comes of age, this place will be here for him.” During the attacks, Moshe, then two-year-old, was rescued by his Indian nanny Sandra Samuel, who now lives with him at his grandparents’ home in Israel.

The Chabad House is currently operating in Mumbai from an undisclosed location.