In Blessed Memory, Rabbi Gavriel & Rivka Holtzberg (Z”L), Mumbai, India

While this is not a typical post for this site, I felt as kosher travelers, we all visit Chabad Houses all over the world. It is important that we recognize the great service that Chabad emissaries do for the Jewish community around the world.

We all know by now that Rabbi Gavriel & Rivka Holtzberg, the Chabad couple in Mumbai, India, have been murdered by Islamic terrorists this past week. The following is a letter written by a friend of mine from Australia who spent 6 months in Mumbai, and has written a personal beautiful, touching, tribute and testament to the lives Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg led.

Written by Benjamin Holzman, Sydney, Australia

“Just minutes ago I heard the terrible news that 5 Israeli hostages were found dead inside the Chabad centre at Nariman house in Mumbai. Although the media hasn’t officially confirmed their identities yet, it seems quite certain that they are Chabad Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, his wife Rivka, an Israeli couple, and another Israeli.

After having been glued to the news for two days straight, relentlessly combing through twitter updates, news reports, and blogs, I am totally exhausted, yet feel compelled to write something about these great people I knew.

I lived in Mumbai for 6 months last year, and would go to the Beit Chabad with friends for a Shabbat meal about every second week. Over the course of 6 months, we got to know the Rabbi and his wife quite well.

They were wonderful people; warm, inviting and engaging. Gabi would get visibly excited to have so many guests for Shabbat, you could tell it really made his week. He would have a grin on his face almost the entire meal, including during his Dvar Torah. He was always so eager to create a communal feeling that he insisted everyone go around the table and say a few words to the group, giving guests 4 options: either delivering a Dvar Torah, relating an inspirational story, declaring to take on a mitzvah, or leading a song.

As most of the guests were Israeli backpackers and other passers-through, they might have found this quite novel. For us regulars, it was just Gabi’s shtick. I can still hear him reciting those 4 options to the group now, as if he had discovered some miraculous way to make everyone involved in the Shabbat with no escape, impressed by his own genius week in and out. He had a devilish smile, you could really see the child still in him, just beneath the surface.

Gabi was also exceptionally thoughtful. Though most of the guests were Israeli, Gabi would give his Dvar Torah in English for the sake of the few of us English-speakers there with sketchy Hebrew, so we’d understand. Sometimes he spoke line by line first in English, then Hebrew. Gabi would start discussions and made it his personal mission to get everyone talking, to make a group of disconnected Jews feel like a family. It worked. That was Gabi.

Rivki was a certified sweetheart. She’d generally sit apart from Gabi, to spread herself out, and usually sat with the girls. She too relished Friday night dinners—I think she needed her weekly female bonding time. She’d talk to the girls about the challenges of keeping kosher in India, and share exciting new finds at the market together. You could tell she was far from home, in this dense Mumbai jungle, but she was tough and really made the best of it. She would balance Gabi’s presence, occasionally making comments to people at her table while Gabi was speaking. Not as a sign of disrespect, but to keep the people around her having a good time, perhaps in the same way a youth group counsellor would, when the kids were bored by another counsellor. That was Rivki. Brave, fun-loving, and super sweet.

Perhaps the greatest testament to their character was simply the fact that they lived in downtown Mumbai for years on end. Having lived there for just 6 months, I understand how incredibly taxing just existing in the city is. Even when trying to relax, the city still seems to suck the life out of you. Living as Westerners in modest conditions in the thick of Mumbai, with the restrictions of kashrut and Shabbat, is certainly no small feat.

I’m not sure if they were thrilled with their placement in Mumbai, but they certainly made a good go of it. They were only a few years older than me, in their late 20s, and despite being far from friends and family and perhaps not in the most exciting Chabad placement (compared to Bangkok, Bogota or Bondi), they kept positive and built a beautiful bastion of Jewey goodness. They chose a life that demonstrated such altruism and care, in the truest sense. The Mumbai Chabad really made a difference to my time in India, and made me feel that much more at home in such a foreign country.

It was at Gabi and Rivki’s where I met Joseph Telushkin, the famous Jewish author. It was at Gabi and Rivki’s where I randomly bumped into friends of friends from back home. It was to Gabi and Rivki’s where we brought our non-Jewish Indian friends who became curious in Judaism. It was at Gabi and Rivki’s where a girl I would later fall for first developed feelings for me, when I brought her some water while she lay sick on the sofa from Indian food poisoning. She was being nursed by Rivki.

Gabi and Rivki were real for me. We often hear about tragedies in distant, disconnected places, and feel frustratingly estranged from them. We want to connect, but cant; we feel as though in a different world. And mere numbers, names and images don’t amass to much. I hope I’ve been able to paint a small picture of two of the victims of the Mumbai terror attacks, which claimed over 150 lives in total and left hundreds injured.

I know they would have been brave through the whole ordeal. Though unconfirmed, it is likely they would have been murdered right as Shabbat was coming in. I feel that this would have provided them with comfort, knowing that they departed this world in a time of peace. I also know the knowledge that their 2-year old son Moishe managed to escape in the arms of his nanny would have provided them with great comfort in their final hours. When I would look at the young Moishe I would see Gabi’s face, and Rivki’s care-free spirit.

Chabad lost two soldiers today, emissaries and keepers of the Jewish people. Let us honour their work and their lives in our prayers, in our thoughts, and in our deeds, and let us pray for the families of the dozens of other victims of these attacks. May all souls rest in peace, and may we see an end to violence in our time.”

Benjamin Holzman

I also found some important words from Jewlicious.com:

“…Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg were targeted solely because they were Jewish. Had any of us been in Mumbai the day of the attack, we too would have been similarly targeted by mere dint of our religious affiliation. It wouldn’t have mattered in the least to the cowardly terrorists if we were atheist Jews, or cultural Jews, or left wing peacenick Jews, or secular, LWMO, Reform, Conservative or Reconstructionist. If they called out for Jews and you had the balls to raise your hand, they wouldn’t have asked if your Mom was Jewish or if the Rabbi that performed your conversion was on the approved list of Rabbis put out by the Rabbinate in Israel. They would have targeted you without further question. Now I am not saying that we ought to allow our enemies to define who is a Jew, but what I am saying is that however we define ourselves, at least for the next little while, we are all Chabadniks.

Those of you wishing to contribute to a fund that will help rebuild the Chabad of Mumbai and benefit the surviving children of Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, may do so by clicking here. It’s not much, but it’s the least we can do. You can read more about Gabi and Rivky at Chabad.org.”

✈ Keeping Kosher in Phoenix, AZ

Contributed by: Lisa Weinberger | Last Date of Travel: Presently living in Area

Where are the Kosher Places in Valley of the Sun?

Making the move from the Tri-State area where there were Kosher establishments to eat from Noah’s Ark and Veggie Heaven in Teaneck, NJ to the multiple choices of Kosher places located throughout NYC, moving to the Phoenix Metro area was a bit of a culture Kosher shock.

Kosher Info: There are only a few Kosher restaurants in the Phoenix Metro area. There are many “Kosher Style” restaurants but although a nice idea, these don’t pass for Kosher. Segal’s Kosher Foods sells and serves meat located at 4818 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ‎. In the same area of Phoenix, Imperial Kosher Market is the hub to getting the Kosher foods you are use to from the Tri-State area at a somewhat reasonable price. They carry a decent amount of items and cold cuts. Imperial is located at 1145 E Glendale Ave, Phoenix, AZ.  Over in Scottsdale, there is Scottsdale Kosher Market which is a Kosher Market and a place where you can also sit down and eat. Again, not a full restaurant and pricing on their products are a little above and beyond. They are located at 10211 N Scottsdale Rd, Paradise Valley, AZ. 

And the best find is a vegetarian place called Fresh Mint in Scottsdale which has its Vaad’as do the others. Fresh Mint has been opened for six (6) months and makes amazing vegetarian cuisine and is located at 13802 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ.

Trader Joe’s throughout the Valley of the Sun carries Empire meat products and Kosher wines. Phoenix also has their own Kosher bakery called Simply Bread. Their challah and artisan breads can be found at A.J. markets or the Kosher Markets around the Valley of the Sun.  A few Websites to check out are http://JewishPhoenix.org or http://JewishHaz.com. 

Tourist Info: Since I have lived in the Phoenix area for close to three (3) years, I have found some interesting areas to visit. The Friendship Japanese Garden located in downtown Phoenix, as well as Heritage Historic District, the Orpheum Theater, the Phoenix Library are all located within blocks of each other. There is the Phoenix Children’s Museum, the Arizona Science Center, Frank Lloyd Wright Museum and Wrigley Mansion all located in the Valley. If you are looking for places outside of Phoenix to visit, then I suggest the amazing colors of the Red Rocks of Sedona which does have a fairly large Jewish community, http://jcsvv.com as well.

You will need to rent a car as public transportation will not get you to every place you want to visit. When in the Valley of the Sun, a car is a must. If you plan to stay in the downtown general area, then a bicycle could work as well.

Jewish Info: While visiting the Valley of the Sun, there are many synagogues ranging from Reformed to Orthodox and Chabad. The synagogues are located mainly in Scottsdale and Central Phoenix. There are a few sporadic temples and Chabad organizations in the outside areas of these two, but most of the Jewish places of worship will be found in Scottsdale and Central Phoenix.

Holiday Travel Alerts & Warnings

While everyone should heed the recent warnings in India, Thailand, Nicaragua, and in NYC, as Jews we need to take extra caution. Here are a few alerts or warnings that if you are traveling this holiday, please take notice!

India 11/26/08 — There have been a series of blasts in a number of sites around Mumbai. Some of these have been in or close to five star hotels in the southern part of the city. Reports suggest as many as 80 dead and up to 250 injured people. We advise all in the city to stay indoors until local authorities advise that it is safe to go outside.
New York City 11/26/ 2008 — U.S. authorities have warned of a possible al Qaeda threat to transit systems in and around New York City, according to Homeland Security.
Thailand 11/26/2008 — Large-scale political demonstrations in Thailand that have resulted in the disruption of services as well as isolated incidents of violence.  At this time, Bangkok’s international and domestic airports have ceased flight operations due to the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protests at those locations.  It is unclear when normal flight operations will resume.
Nicaragua 11/15/2008 — Municipal elections across Nicaragua took place on November 9, 2008.  Violent demonstrations followed and witnesses have reported numerous injuries.  The situation remains fluid.  Street protests and or clashes are likely to continue in the coming days and can be unpredictable in time, place, and intensity. This Travel Alert expires on December 12, 2008.