The United Synagogue

United Synaogue Hosts Memorial Service For Mumbai Victims

PRESS RELEASE

London,
4 December 2008

UNITED SYNAGOGUE HOSTS MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR MUMBAI VICTIMS

The United Synagogue hosted a memorial service yesterday evening (3 December) at Mill Hill Synagogue joint with the Office of the Chief Rabbi and Chabad-Lubavitch UK, to honour the memory of the individuals cruelly killed in last week's terror attack in Mumbai.

The Chief Rabbi expressed his sadness following the recent atrocity and was joined by speakers Henry Grunwald QC, the President of the Board of Deputies and Rabbi Yitzhak Schochet, Chair of the United Synagogue Rabbinical Council and Rabbi of Mill Hill United Synagogue.

The service included prayers and psalms to honour the lives of the Chabad Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivkah who were killed in the Chabad House and to remember all other Jews, Israelis and innocent victims whose lives were tragically cut short in the Mumbai attacks.

The synagogue was overflowing with members of the Jewish Community and distinguished guests including the Mayor of Barnet, the Hindu Council UK and representatives from the Israeli Embassy. Mrs Shaw, whose Grandson was killed in the attack and was buried this week in Israel was also in attendance.

The Chief Rabbi speaking on the events in Mumbai and reflecting on his visit to India, said: "We welcome our cherished friends, representatives of the people of India, here tonight and we say from the heart that we share your grief. Our thoughts are also with all the Jewish and Israeli victims of last week's attacks, in particular Rabbi and Rivkah Holtzberg, a caring and beautiful couple that radiated only warmth and joy. If Hilter reached out to every Jew in hate, they would reach out to every Jew in love. May their memory and the memory of all the victims be a blessing and may we be privileged to continue the work they began."

Rabbi Schochet, having just returned to London after attending the funerals of Rabbi and Mrs Holtzberg commented: You do not have to be a Rabbi to combat evil. We owe it to the innocent victims not to surrender to these tragic events. We will respond to darkness by increasing light and will build more Chabad houses in this one's destruction. We, as a nation will continue to survive."

Henry Grunwald QC, President of the Board of Deputies said: "We come together to show our solidarity to the people of India and to remember the lives of those who were killed simply because they were Jewish. We ask the rest of the world to wake up to the fact that not only is terror a threat around the world but there is a specific threat to Jewish targets around the world. We must not allow these terrorists a platform for their messages of death and outstretch our arm to all of those who will join with us to fight terror. If we give in to terror then they have won and we must not allow that to happen."


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