Unflinching Dedication

Rabbi Gabi and Rebbetzin Rivka's dedication to their service of G-d was unflinching. Here are a few items to give readers an idea of who they were and what they represented.

1) I remember them catering kosher food for an Indian wedding for 50 Jewish visitors from abroad.
2) Teaching Indian Jewish kids Torah.
3) Engaging with many Indian Jews to further their Jewish awareness.
4) Teaching Indian Jews and secular Israeli travelers how to put on tefillin and pray.
5) Flying Rebbetzin Rivka to the mikvah on a monthly basis overseas and then raising funds and building a mikvah for the Mumbai community.
6) Flying all across India to supervise kosher foods.
7) Visiting Jews in jail on a weekly basis. This included giving them kosher food, challah for shabbos, Megillah reading on Purim and bringing lulav and etrog on succos.
8) Bringing Kosher sandwiches to the opera house area at lunch time for Jews in the diamond industry.
9) Going to see lawyers on behalf of Jews in the diaspora who had loved ones in Indian jails.
10) Hospitality unequalled. They catered for between 10-30 people every evening this included chicken, meat, rice, potatoes, salad, cold drinks and fruit and dessert and often a l'chaim.
11) Having 30-50 people for Friday night and Shabbos lunch.

Besides all their catering and Jewish community activities they spent time and loved making people feel special and at home and engaging them in religious discussions to strengthen them in closeness to G-d.

All this was done despite terrible health problems with 2 of their 3 kids. The oldest child who passed away earlier this year was born with an incurable disease as was the second oldest child who I believe is in a special ward in a hospital in Israel.

May G-d bless them in the Garden of Eden with the highest of all His wonderful blessings.

My warmest condolences to the entire family.

Gilad Bar-Chaim, Johannesburg, South Africa