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Last update - 07:36 29/11/2008
Mumbai attack sends shock waves through Chabad community worldwide
By Yair Ettinger, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Mumbai, terror, Israel News 

The terror attack on the Chabad center in Mumbai that claimed five lives on Friday was the worst attack in the movement's history.

The attack that began on Wednesday sent shock waves through the organization's worldwide delegates network. Chabad emissaries, spread in almost every corner of the globe to help Israelis and Jews, have themselves become terror targets.

"It's still early to say what this will do to us. At the moment we're all very worried and occupied with what's happening in Mumbai," Rabbi Yosef Kantor, Chabad's executive director in Thailand who is also in charge of the center in Mumbai, told Haaretz.
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Earlier this week the network held its annual conference in New York, which was attended by some 4,000 delegates from all over the world.

"It was a huge display of power of a project that grows bigger every year. You see young families who set out with great enthusiasm to work in the most remote places on earth," said Chabad spokesman Rabbi Menachem Brod, who returned from New York.

The mission was a central theme in the teachings of the last Lubavitcher rebbe. The importance he assigned to "setting off for places where there isn't even a minyan of Jews" made it a prestigious task for Chabad youngsters to be part of.

Until Wednesday, Chabad centers worldwide were seen as extraterritorial compounds where the rebbe's work was being done.

"We've joined the rabbi's army," says Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, smiling, in a video clip about his work in Mumbai with his wife.

Some 12 Chabad delegates operate in India alone. The Mumbai center was founded five years ago by the Holtzbergs and about a year ago it moved to its new home in the five-floor Nariman Building. The two live with their 2-year-old son on the top floor. The building also has a synagogue, dining room, mikveh and Internet services.

Unlike other Chabad centers, which are intended mainly for Israeli hikers, the Mumbai center serves as a community center for the city's small Jewish community, and many of the Israelis staying there are business people.

On weekdays some 30 people live at the center; on weekends their number rises to 80. A regular staff of eight also lives in the house, said Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg, father of Rivka Holtzberg.

Yossi Goldberg, a Chabad emissary in Bangkok, spoke of the "tension and dread" yesterday and of increased security in the movement's centers in the Thai capital, itself in the throes of a political crisis.

"It's a difficult feeling but we'll continue working more energetically," he said. "Such disasters won't make us reduce our activity and the terrorists will not dictate the extent of our activity, only the rebbe's commands. This Saturday in Bangkok will be a big event, because many Israelis are stuck here due to the riots. We'll continue our work and hope that our large Sabbath feast will be a thanksgiving feast for the release of all the hostages."


Related articles:
  • Reports differ over release of Mumbai Chabad center captives
  • Yossi Melman / Is al-Qaida behind the Mumbai terror attacks?
  • IN PICTURES / Mumbai ravaged by deadly terror attacks
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      1.   worst attack? 06:37  |  tooclose2detroit 28/11/08
      2.   and yet PALESTINIANS go unoticed 08:03  |  VIPER 28/11/08
      3.   Worst? Perhaps 08:42  |  Alberto 28/11/08
      4.   Pray for Indian Commandos 08:51  |  Indian 28/11/08
      5.   tooclose2detroit 08:52  |  DB 28/11/08
      6.   Wise people have predicted a long time ago.... 09:35  |  Swiss (Dino) 28/11/08
      7.   Its obvious 09:43  |  effiong 28/11/08
      8.   Indian # 4. 10:00  |  David Nigel Braham 28/11/08
      9.   Response to # 6 10:17  |  David 28/11/08
      10.   # what Palestinians have got to do with what is 10:23  |  Sami Budi 28/11/08
      11.   no 1 10:25  |  RICHARD 28/11/08
      12.   Mumbai 10:57  |  Jason Sieckmann 28/11/08
      13.   This is Not News 11:06  |  Noami 28/11/08
      14.   Wise people, Swiss Dino 11:20  |  Simon 28/11/08
      15.   Nonsense Dino 11:44  |  IW 28/11/08
      16.   #6 Swiss Dinosaur,can you name some of the "wise people"? 11:59  |  Hastaroth 28/11/08
      17.   re: worst attack? 11:59  |  J.Malina 28/11/08
      18.   Introspect 12:45  |  Jack 28/11/08
      19.   Hindu-Jewish Collaboration needed 13:15  |  AMIT 28/11/08
      20.   Chabad does amazing work 13:23  |  Potash Katiftof 28/11/08
      21.   Why are they "shocked?" 13:43  |  spyguy 28/11/08
      22.   Dino,wise people don`t blame Israel for Muslim murders in Darfur 13:50  |  Unbelievable 28/11/08
      23.   # 15 IW 14:16  |  Swiss (Dino) 28/11/08
      24.   # 16 Hastaroth 14:52  |  Swiss (Dino) 28/11/08
      25.   # 14 Simon (2nd try) 14:56  |  Swiss (Dino) 28/11/08
      26.   Dino,2nd try 15:33  |  IW 28/11/08
      27.   to4; Indian, we pray for all the Indian innocent people 16:02  |  maurice 28/11/08
      28.   Attacks by Rabid Muslims on Jewish Centres 17:18  |  Dagma [Second time] 28/11/08
      29.   Dino is one of the... 17:46  |  Mark 28/11/08
      30.   Wake up call number 2! 17:48  |  Alan 28/11/08
      31.   Dillusional #2 18:19  |  Mark 28/11/08
      32.   NOW MUSLIMS KILL RABBIS ,WIVES AND CHILDREN 18:26  |  HAL TRIPP 28/11/08
      33.   VIPER @#2 18:42  |  Akiva P 28/11/08
      34.   Sami Budi @#10 18:46  |  Akiva P 28/11/08
      35.   U.S. Chabad was silent in during Oslo War... 18:58  |  Avi Zaltsman 28/11/08
      36.   So now you want to blame the victim? 19:00  |  Bruriah Sarah 28/11/08
      37.   CHABAD should bring Jews home to Israel 19:08  |  Bennie 28/11/08
      38.   tooclose2retardation 19:18  |  Avshalom Tzvi 28/11/08
      39.   Nat;ie, Clickfool Inj. and other haters 19:50  |  Tobia 28/11/08
      40.   Swiss (Dingleberry): Your Desperation Is Showing 21:17  |  Tex 28/11/08
      41.   Nation of Islam is Quiet Again 00:26  |  A Christian 29/11/08
      42.   Swiss Dino # 6 read effiong # 7 01:21  |  ChanahS 29/11/08
      43.   VIPER #2 - yes, and you should wonder why! 01:22  |  ChanahS 29/11/08
      44.   Swiss Dino # 6 01:24  |  ChanahS 29/11/08
      45.   God`s Will 01:52  |  Andrew 29/11/08
      46.   OUR CONDOLENCES 02:16  |  AMERICAN HINDU 29/11/08
      47.   Tobia, get a grip on yourself 06:30  |  Ben Alofs 29/11/08
      48.   Build Chabad Houses in Every Town in the WORLD!!! 07:44  |  Baruch Gold 29/11/08
      49.   Hey spy-guy 09:12  |  Mo 49 29/11/08
      50.   # 22 And that is exactly why I have never done that.... 09:14  |  Swiss (Dino) 29/11/08
      51.   # 26 IW 09:22  |  Swiss (Dino) 29/11/08
      52.   Dino again 15:33  |  IW 29/11/08
      53.   # 44 Chanah (2nd try) 15:39  |  Swiss (Dino) 29/11/08
      54.   Swiss Dino with memory deficiency 00:06  |  #22 30/11/08
      55.   Screwed again by God! 06:40  |  MIKE 30/11/08
      56.   Dear Israeli Brothers 16:40  |  Indian 30/11/08
      57.   Mike #55 22:27  |  Kucku Muruku 30/11/08
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