Following the death of Mumbai-based Jewish Rabbi Gabriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivika Chabad, Chabad centres around the world have decided to organise prayers and Shabbat in the coming days. Rabbi Yisroel Lew of one of the Chabad centres in London said, “This is a big shock, a huge tragedy for all of us. We are grappling to come to terms with this. It is a huge loss. But we will pray for their souls. Our centres across the world intend to hold prayer meetings. At our centre, we will light candles and say prayers.”

The Chabad community would also receive funds for rebuilding the Chabad house that was partially destroyed in the commando operations on Friday, said Rabbi Lew so that it could continue its ‘necessary work’. The website www.ChabadIndia.org has provided a link for donations to ‘help relief efforts’ in Mumbai.

Headquarter of the Chabad-Lubavitch Movement in Mumbai, Chabad House or Nariman House housed Jewish Rabbi Gabriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivika. The website of the sect Chabad-Lubavitch states that Chabad is “a Hebrew acronym for the three intellectual faculties of: chachmah-wisdom, binah-comprehension and da’at-knowledge” and Lubavitch is a town in Russia. It also said the Chabad-Lubavitch originated 250 years ago in Russia and spread to other parts of the world. The sect has four centres in India: Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Bangalore and Mumbai.

Hostage Jewish Rabbi Gabriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivika had been Chabad representatives since the past five years in Mumbai, said Schneior Kup, a friend of the Holtzberg family. Delhi-based Schneior flew down to Mumbai as soon as he saw TV channels flashing news about the family on Thursday.