The Holtzberg's

I left work for 30 minutes yesterday to pay my respects to the Chabad couple, Rabbi Gabi and Rivke Holtzberg, who were tortured and brutally murdered in Mumbai, India last week by Muslim terrorists. I drove to Beit Orot neat Har HaZeitim, put on my MDA EMT vest, took my equipment of of my car, and waited at the corner for the procession to pass. Loud Arab music erupted from the corner, so I went to the policeman and told him about it. He seemed unimpressed. I told him that it wass totally disrespectful for music to be blasting as a funeral procession was about to pass, and he had better do something about it.

I think my MDA vest helped, because he actually took me seriously, and forcefully told the Arabs to shut off their music. When they refused, he called over another police car to deal with them; the music ceased and the Arabs dispersed.

A minute later the procession came by. Police cars, MDA ambulances and Hatzala ambucycles led the way, followed by the black vans of the Chevra Kadisha, carrying the bodies of Gaby and Rivkie.

I walked along the sidewalk beside them, thinking about the terror attack. 20 seconds later they were gone, on their way for burial at Har HaZeitim.

Drove back to work, wondering why in every single generation, our enemies continue to pursue us.

May G-d Avenge their deaths - Hashem Yikom Damam.

**see this link about the Holtzberg's.


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Jews Murdered in Mumbai Arrive Home for Burial

The bodies of the murdered Jews in Mumbai arrived home in Israel last night at 11:00 PM. The funerals are scheduled for different times today -- the funeral for Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg is scheduled to start at 1:00 PM in Kfar Chabad.

There has been much noise that the coffins were draped with Israeli flags due to a request from one of the families, and they insisted a tallit be placed on the coffin instead.

The coffins were all draped with flags and tallitot.

The family of slain Hasid Aryeh Leib Teitelbaum has informed the government that it would like the State not to intervene with his funeral.

According to a family member, "Holding a Zionist funeral for Teitelbaum, who was a Satmar Hasid, would desecrate the dead man's honor." The family demanded not to have a government representative at the funeral and that the casket, which will be flown into Israel today, would not be covered with the Israeli flag.

They also asked that Teitelbaum's body would be released immediately upon the plane's arrival, so that they would be able to hold an intimate funeral for him as soon as possible.

Shmuel Pfenheim of the Haredi Community anti-Zionist stream told Ynet: "I'm sending a message from the family. We don't want the State to meddle in our grief. Suddenly Israel has an interest to show the world that it is also a victim of global jihad, so it decides to throw a big ceremony with a coffin wrapped in a flag. We object to this. It pains us and offends our values."

Pfenheim, who attended the same yeshiva as Teitelbaum, added: "He wasn't killed as an envoy of the State or as a Zionist person. He simply went there as a kashrut supervisor on behalf of an American kashrut system. He himself was an American citizen, and although he was a resident in Israel he wasn't an Israeli national.

"The mere fact that he was living here, in a closed congregation, doesn't give the country permission to exploit his death."

Despite their protest, sources in the Haredi Community stressed that they did not plan to create havoc over the matter. "We are not like Neturei Karta. We conduct our struggles peacefully, and are simply begging the minister in charge and the police – the man has suffered enough. He's been there for almost a week. Let us bury him according to the family's will." (YNET)

While people may criticize Teitelbaum's family, they did raise $125,000 to fly his body back to Israel privately without waiting for the IAF plane, yet Israel forcibly insisted that all the bodies be flown back together, with flags and a State sponsored funeral. In his lifetime, Aryeh Leib Teitelbaum led his life according to strict Satmar ideals, and did not accept bituach leumi or government aid -- and he worked in India to support his family.

The bottom line is, "sources in the Haredi Community stressed that they did not plan to create havoc over the matter."

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Hypocritical Israel

In light of the horrific massacre in India this past week, with hundreds dead (over 300) and well over a thousand wounded, Israeli "security officials" criticized India's handling of the terror attacks.

"Israeli and international media quoted Israeli security officials as claiming the operation was risky and premature" (Haaretz)

"In hostage situations, the first thing the forces are supposed to do is assembling at the scene and begin collecting intelligence," a former official in Israel's famed anti-terror agency, Shin Bet, told The Jerusalem Post.

"In this case, it appears the forces showed up at the scene and immediately began exchanging fire with the terrorists, instead of first taking control of the area," he said. An article in another newspaper, Haaertz, said: "In the first several hours after the Mumbai incidents began, the response of the Indian authorities was slow, confused and inefficient." (India Today)

Hypocracy rules in Israel today as IDF soldier Gilad Shalit remains a hostage in Gaza -- a terrorist state created by Israel, and Israel's only stated way of freeing him, is the release of hundreds of murderous terrorists.

Today, Gaza Palestinians shelled the Nahal Oz IDF command center, resulting in 8 soliders wounded.

"Surgeons at Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon were forced to amputate the leg of 21-year-old Noam Nikash of Beersheba. Doctors were trying to save his other leg.

Seven other troops, including two female soldiers, were lightly to moderately wounded after terrorists fired mortar shells from the Gaza Strip on Friday evening. The soldiers were taken to both Barzilai Hospital and Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, and an additional soldier was treated for shock.

By Saturday evening, six were still hospitalized, one in a serious condition, two moderate, and three were lightly wounded, according to Israel Radio" (Jpost)

Israel, the country that adopted the "turn other cheek" mentality -- resulting from the Oslo accords, the country that ran away from Gaza destroying Jewish communities left and right, exiling close to 10,000 Jews from their homes, are the last country on the planet that should be able to chastise anyone about how to deal with terror.

Yet my anger at Israel is displaced only by my sorrow and condolences for the families of the Jews murdered in Mumbai this past week.

Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg

Rivka Holtzberg

Rabbi Leibish Teitlebaum

Bentzion Chroman

Yohevet Orpaz

and at least 3 more unidentified Jews.

May G-d avenge their deaths.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Kol Yisrael Areivim. Terror in India

24 hours later....12:56 PM The ZAKA organization volunteers who flew to India from Israel have been asked to enter the Beit Chabad building. The operation has not finished, and the fate of Chabad's Shaliach Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg is still unknown.

Pictures and Videos of the India CounterTerror Unit going into the Beit Chabad, here.

Israel Radio Channel 2 Miki Gourdus reports that he has heard from India reports that Gavriel and Rivka are still alive. Let's hope he's right! (1:19 PM)

Shabbat Shalom...

Jameel.




Update: 2:51 PM Reports from India are conflicting. Sky News reports the terrorists are demanding to negotiate with the Indian government over the release of hostages. Mumbai's a mess.

Update: 1:40 PM. :-(

Update: 12:07 India Counter Terror Unit operating in the Taj Mahal hotel, with over 100 hostages, including Israeli diamond merchants. Explosions heard in the hotel...

11:37 AM As I write this, the India counter terror unit is operating inside the Beit Chabad in Mumbai (Bombay) India, trying to free the hostages, including 6 Israelies (unsure if this number "6" includes the Chabad Shaliach Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg).

Initial reports say that the Gavriel and Rivka are unconscious, but alive, and therefore, they really need Chasdei Shamayim to pull through.

Your good thoughts, prayers and tehillim can help.

YNET: Report: 6 Israelis held hostage in Mumbai

(Video) Terrorists seize Chabad offices in Indian city, reportedly hold six Israelis hostage. Ultra-Orthodox organization officials say emissary, his wife unconscious. Local commando unit reports one gunman killed, four remain in building. Rabbi's son, nanny seen leaving place safely. At least 10 sites attacked overnight; 101 people killed, 314 injured

India News reports over 900 hospitalized.

Reports indicate that the "official" numbers are much worse than being reported; While YNET writes about 314 injured, the real number is much higher.

CNN reports that this is the largest Jihad terror attack since 9/11.


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד