What Darkness is Incapable of Accomplishing

My wife Shaby and I, along with her entire family, spent a Shabbat with the Holtzbergs in Mumbai in August, 2008. At that time Moshe was only one and a half years old and he spent most of the meals attempting to get rice and puréed vegetables all over himself and anyone that ventured too close. He was a very cute and happy child who cherished the love and affection that his parents and the many guests in attendance at the Chabad house gave to him.

His parents, Gabriel and Rivka, were absolutely wonderful people. Warm, energetic, and dynamic. We connected with them via email prior to leaving Toronto and we first met them in person at the famous Keneseth Elyahu Synagogue (sometimes referred to as the Sassoon Synagogue), located adjacent to the Gateway of India, where Rabbi Holtzberg led the prayers. We prayed with them Friday night as well as Saturday morning and afternoon.

We also had the pleasure of joining them at the Nariman House for all three Shabbat meals, which I recall fondly as it was the only time we ate meat while in India! I also had a brief opportunity to learn one-on-one with Gabi on Saturday afternoon.

Their Chabad house was located in the middle of a market nearly 20 minutes walk from the port where the terrorists landed. The killers made a great effort and took significant risks in order to attack the Holtzbergs. This is a clear indication of how threatened the fanatics feel by the existence of honest G‑d-fearing people like the Holtzbergs. Judaism remains the greatest challenge to them in their efforts to strike fear in the world and expand their global jihad.

The Holtzbergs' sole purpose was to be a beacon of light to all they came in contact with in India. Their memory will live on in through the thousands of people they touched in India and by the fact that the Chabad of Mumbai is being rebuilt in their memory.

When we sat with them for dinner they asked that everyone at their Shabbat table take on a mitzvah, it didn't have to be significant but it had to be something new. I would like everyone to consider accepting this request in their honour. Never forget that all the darkness of the world cannot extinguish a single candle.