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6:45PM: The Kevurah of the Hotzberg’s HY”D has been completed, bringing an end to one of the saddest days in recent Jewish history….

5:30PM: The levaya of Rabbi Gavriel Noach and Rivka Holtzberg HY”D is now at Yeshivas Torah Emes Chabad in Yerushalayim. From the Yeshiva, the aveilim will escort the Niftar & Nifteres to Har HaZeisim for the Kvura.

3:33PM: The hespedim are over. The many aveilim are continuing to tear kriya and recite the bracha one-by-one. The crowd is preparing to travel to Yerushalayim. Prior to leaving, Rabbi Y.Y. Aaronoff, head of Tzeirei Chabad reciting a perek of tehillim prior to levaya proceeding to Yerushalayim, Yeshiva Toras Emes and then to Har HaZeisim for kvura.

3:27PM IL: The aveilim led by R’ Shimon Rosenberg tear kriya and recite the bracha “Dayan HaEmes”

3:26PM: Next hesped delivered by Afula Mayor Avi Alkavetz where Rivka grew up and where her parents, the Rosenbergs, live.

R’ Shimon Rosenberg delivers the next hesped – Dear children – it is not our minhag to give hespedim.

When I arrived at the consulate in India everyone told us “do not be sad”. Those people, and you know them all, told us your children are among the 10 holy martyrs. We do not wish this on any one but the two of you, Rivki and Gabi are shluchim of the Rebbe.

It is a Hakel Year. Look how many came to Hakel now! Look around you and see! In your lives and your deaths you are MeKadesh Shem Shamayim – you are brining achdus. Thousands of women on this past erev Shabbos lit candles because of you. It was Rosh Chodesh Kislev. On that day, lights were lit around the world. Those who regularly do not did so for you. You are the cause of this achdus. It must continue!!

I want to tell you, Rivki and Gabi, they did not strike at you, but the shluchim of the Rebbe. But I give you my word, the house was not destroyed. It will be rebuilt. Chassidim came from all over… I told them there the shlichus is not over. It will continue. You see the baby Moishe. He is the chief rabbi of Mumbai. He is the shaliach of the Rebbe!

He spoke of the menorah that was lit three years ago by Gabi and R’ Rosenberg said this year, that large menorah will be lit again in India, with the cooperation of the Israeli consular officials in Mumbai.

Little dear Moishe. You do not know how much I loved them. We spoke every day… that love will continue now as well. We do not give hespedim. But here and now the cry must come from all of us AD MOSAI!!

Rebbe, you must have us redeemed! We now will accept upon ourselves Ohl Malchus Shamayim!!! The crowd recites Shema.
3:11PM:Speaking in English- secretary of Rebbe for many years – Rav Yehuda Krinsky – I will be very brief. Rabbi Lau said earlier what occurred in Kfar Chabad in 1956, the massacre. Four students and a teacher were murdered.

What was the Rebbe’s reaction? People in Kfar Chabad wished to move. Most were survivors of Hitler’s Holocaust but the Rebbe suggested that they stay and build, homes, institutions and establish a livelihood. In his letter, the Rebbe stated their continued work will be their nechama. The Rebbe sent 10 students to live and be with Kfar Chabad for the next month, to comfort them, to teach them not to run away. I am one of those 10 students and still have the tehillim the Rebbe gave us.

When I packed my bags to come, I shed a tear, more than a tear, and recall what the Rebbe said – the shlichus was successful, they decided to say and we now have this beautiful community.

I never met Rivka but met Gavriel You paid the ultimate price. You reached into the hearts of the world of people, many we will never know. We received reports from shluchim around the world many women have taken upon themselves to light Shabbos candles in honor of Rivka and Gavriel. We have found many parents who had children in the past week have named children Rivka and Gavriel. You have become mentors to many many people around the world.

This zchus and the continuation of your work will be the nechama and the Rebbe’s work will continue around the world until we reach every single Jew – until no Jew is left behind.

We pray Hashem should help to comfort the parents and siblings of this wonderful couple – the best we have in shlichus – their lives will be memorialized through Moishe…

2:56PM: Rabbi Avraham Shemtov, representative of Chassidei Chabad Int’l. – delivered the next hesped.

Levaya of Bentzion Chroman HY”D now in Bobov Beis Medresh in Bnei Brak. Rav Michal Y. Lefkowitz Shlita will be maspid the niftar.

2:50PM: Rav Yisrael Meir Lau Shlita – in one week 15 Kislev, will mark 52 years since the murderous act in Kfar Chabad which led to Operation Kadesh. In the midst of tefllas maariv, in the village that adopted children from N. Africa, came the shaliach from Jerusalem Rav Simcha Zilberstrom HY”D. The terrorists came from Gaza, murdering 5, defiling the siddurim with their blood.

52 years have passed and the chain of mesirus nefesh continues – the distance is great but Kfar Chabad like Mumbai. One thing remains – when the terrorist was asked why did you go? He said “I was sent to murder Jews”. The age, gender or nationality and citizenship does not matter – to kill Jews. Therefore, it is not surprise that the photos and testimony from there remind us of those days which we thought would never return.

…The Rav elaborated on the passukim explaining how Moshe was named, that he was pulled from the water. The very same Sandra represents humanity and the righteous among the Gentiles, Sandra of Mumbai, who could have fled to save herself, but she took Moishele with her – she heard him call her twice. She did not hesitate. She went upstairs. Saw the two bodies of the father and mother, and extricated the 2-year-old from the clutches of death, not from the water, but from fire and blood. We all owe her a modicum of honor.

Her decision to rescue the boy will be remembered for generations. I was not privileged to meet Gabi and Rivki, but I heard his speech at the Chabad kenos four years ago, going from Beersheva to Charan.

At the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s funeral I saw an elder remove his shoes and remove his coat and almost walked on the mountain of kvitlach, lifted his hands to the Heaven and shouted one word – Tatte! I understand that even if the Rebbe did not have children, he left countless numbers of children.

He shouted Tatte and Moishe did during the memorial in the shul in India. I know that cry, a child in the barbed wire – one who had his mother grabbed away and in those day they screamed the same scream, Mama! There is a lesson. The Rebbe sent the people with the understanding they must be MeKadesh Shem Shamayim… this is a most special family, a sefer in chassidus – I know that you will continue seeking the derech – how to ignite the spark of yiddishkeit in Jews around the world. Last week in Mumbai, the terrorists tried to extinguish the spark but they will not succeed.

…the image of this couple and that boy will remain in front of us, you the shluchim. Ima is not just a biological thing but also a feeling a deep concept.

The father and mother of the generation is our tradition handed down from the generations to reach out to all those seeking to return to his roots and his ancestors…

2:30PM: Rav Yona Metzger Shlita commented in English in the midst of his hesped, speaking to the nanny, Sandra, “we have to appreciate for all the Jewish people, you saved the future, Moishe, that he is here with us today, only one person from such a wonderful family”.

…in the future, Moishe will be the Shaliach there. What koach the family has, what bravery. They knocked down the Rebbe’s picture, but not a scratch but he remained whole as if the Rebbe says “they delivered a blow, they struck but we remain strong and continue”.

In the name of the Chief Rabbinate, Rav Metzger made an appeal to the government to protect the Chabad House, emissaries of Am Yisrael in cities and countries around the world.

During the last Shabbos of his life, Rav Gavriel stated on Shabbos Mivorchim Kislev “we finished Mar-Cheshvan and we are entering the month of light and the Geula”.

President Shimon Peres – a few days ago, the entire world, certainly the Jewish people, sought the answer for one question, for a 2-year-old boy, Moishe, why? Why was his mother murdered? Anyone who has a child must ask the question.

The world will not know peace and cannot be a world of people, believers, of logical people until the answer is given – a response to this most poignant question. There is no explanation.

I saw the face of Rivki and Rav Gavriel Holtzberg, such modest people who exhibited a light. They had nothing and gave everything with unusual generosity. They did not seek success or fame, but carried the light of torah to the corner of the earth, representatives of us all to bring hope and the redemption. They asked nothing – they carried out a ‘Shlichut l’shma’.

I merited to meet the Rebbe. …he does not permit anyone of us to doubt the fact that emunah will emerge the victor. After all, there are hotels and buildings. Can we protect them all? There are those who are willing to brutally murder, indiscriminately, and then there are others who live in G-d’s image.

We cannot protect everyone but these ‘pere adom’ must be stopped and the terrorists must be stopped. If there is a land, even a member of the UN, Iran, serving as a base and center for terror. How do we deal with the leaders of such a nation?

In every place there is terror or that support terror, providing funding, we must stand as one, unequivocally and shout the world is in danger – it is a plague that must be stopped. We the Jewish People are not strangers to pain, suffering, troubles. We never abandoned our way following such brutal acts of murder. I say the problem today is not ours alone but from here, the call must go out to the world to stop the madness. The response to the 2-year-old Jewish boy, Moishe, must be given by the entire world, not just us, for if not, the world will not be inhabitable.

We have the rules from Hashem in the 10 Commandments and we know our derech will emerge the successor but until we understand why such holy and wonderful people fell, why is Moishe an orphan – we will not rest until we receive the answer.

Americans and Indians were also murdered – Mr. Peres consoled the Indian Ambassador and deputy ambassador of USA, both present. He sent condolences to the families of the security forces killed in the attack.

To the family, grandparents, Moishe is not just the subject of a question, but the nechama – he will grow and develop and the shlichus of Chabad that reaches all corners of the earth – we can save what is built, continuing to develop it. The entire world cries today. The entire world asks the question of Moishe. The entire Jewish world today is one large family. There is no boundary to our pain and no end to our hope.

2:15PM: Rav Grossman Shlita continues:
Rav Ashkenazi asked why? We do not have answers. Thousands of bullets were fired and one bullet entered on torah – where, speaking about how Aaron HaKohen’s children lost his children (Achrei Mos) – the bullet struck these words – Isn’t this a response from Hashem!! Tzaddikim atone for Am Yisrael.

It is our job to make certain we no longer need kaporos – that we do not need isurim – we must unite into one. There are no ashkenazim and Sephardim – no religious and chiloni – for Gabi and Rivki these words were not in their lexicon. We were all one. They are teaching us now!!

More than once the Rebbe spoke with me and told me, if you want a bracha, “Kulanu K’echad!”

Hashem left us an “olam malei” an entire world – Moishele, who will grow and follow in the footsteps … enough tragedy – we must unit, get along!!

Rav Shlomo Moshe Amar Shlita delivered the next hesped followed by Rav Yona Metzger Shlita.

1:58PM: Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Kotlarsky (Speaking in both Hebrew and English) – Gabi and Rivki, please forgive for speaking about you here since I know the last thing you want is for anyone to make a fuss over you. It was I who escorted you from the first day you wished to set out on the Shlichus of the Rebbe, the timimus!

…Why did you cut them short? I recall when Gabi spoke at the kenus (4 years ago) when he cited Yaakov left Beersheva for Charana. Now, we have mourners for this marvelous couple, the family, friends, those who escorted them on their Shlichus, which was their entire life. All of us have Moishele, Moishele.

For you, the family, I have no words, there is nothing to say. The hidden remains with Hashem. For the Shluchim, around the world, this is the time to take strength. This is not the time to ask questions, not to think, it is a time to do! We will answer the terrorists. This is for governments. We will not fight them with AK47s, tanks, the Rebbe told us a little candle in the room can light the entire room.

Such brutal darkness must be combated with torches, around the world. Not one Jew will not put on tefillin. We will gather on Chanukah and celebrate what the Holtzberg’s did.

What will I tell Moishele. I remember when Gabi called and told me Baruch Hashem a healthy child. They love him so, they loved him so dearly, I would speak with Gabi regularly. I spoke to him 2.5 weeks ago.

Moishele you do not have an abba to hold you and say Shema with you. No mother to hold you, to hug and kiss you – but Moishele, today, you are the child of all Klal Yisrael and 4,00 Shluchim around the world. We adopt you! You are our child. You remain our child forever. We will do everything to see you are not missing anything to continue to be a shaliach of the Rebbe.

…We will rebuild the Mumbai Chabad House in Mumbai to become the largest in the world, and it will be called The Rav Gavriel Noach and Rivka Chabad Center and you Moishele will take nechama from this.

Gabi and Rivki I bid you goodbye…

HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Dovid Grossman Shlita – Migdal Ha’emek and head of Mosdos Migdal Ohr – Am Yisrael, Shluchei Chabad, Chassidim, Honorable President Shimon Peres, DM Ehud Barak, former PM Binyamin Netanyahu, Deputy Minister Eli Yishai, Ministers Atias, Ezra… Chief Rabbis of Israel, former Chief Rabbi Lau – we are here to escort Rav Gavriel Noach and Rivka HY”D.

Rebbe states Yaakov left Beersheva and traveled Charana. Rebbe says Beersheva was tranquility. Yaakov Aveinu leaves this tranquility and his family to Charan, a difficult place, a barren desert.. Gavriel and Rivka, you left Eretz HaKadosh, families, comfort, and traveled to a barren land to spread Ahavas Yisrael and Love of Hashem…

By Avraham the torah speaks of “eshel” food, drink, lodging. When he was offered money, he declined – when Avraham was offered thanks, he instructed visitors to thank Hashem.

Gabi and Rivki, you too told people to thank Hashem, in the derech of Hashem. You built a hotel, for who, not for yourselves but for every Jew to have a warm place to remain.

How many young people travel to India to ‘find themselves’ but Gabi and Rivki were there to accept them, to welcome them and show them the correct path.

Rav Gavriel was a shochet, the couple baked challos for the many guests. They built the ‘eshel’ like Avraham Aveinu and said “don’t thank us. We wish to show you love, chassidus, Am yisrael, what Hashem instructs us to love one another. This is the goal, nothing else”.

My sister-in-law, Rivki’s mother, told me when they entered they asked Sandra the nanny where Rivki placed her private belongings, her personal property. Perhaps assist me in finding my daughters possessions. Sandra, a non-Jews stated “I am surprised you ask. They had no private things. Everything belonged to the public, to klal yisrael”.

Everything was for the klal, never seeking for themselves….

Meah Shearim: The levaya of Rav A.L. Teitlebaum HY”D has just left Meah Shearim and is now making its way to Har HaZeisim. Maran Rav Elyashiv is taking part in a vehicle.

1:37PM: Kiryat Bobov – the hespedim are continuing.

Kfar Chabad: HaGaon HaRav Ashkenazi Shlita, Av Beis Din Chabad – You promised in your Torah HaKadosh that Shluchei Mitzva are unharmed! Why! Yehudim who gave their lives L’Kadeish Shem Shamayim to bring Sholom and Achdus to the world – to spread the light. Why does it say Goyim will say “where is your G-d?” Why does this happen to us.

In the name of this holy K’hal, we hope they will approach the Kisei HaKovod and shout, Ribona Shalom, please, please, protect the Shluchim – permit them to continue their holy mission that you bestowed upon them.

And for us, chassidei Chabad, the Rebbe demanded achdus, sholom and achdus – it is now a matter of mesirus nefesh. We must accept this, not to elevate the souls of the Kedoshim, but because it is our task. There is one HaKadosh Baruch Hu, one Am Yisrael, One Rebbe. I have no doubt we will succeed as we have done to date.

You left a little boy who cried “ima” “ima” – how can this be? Come before the Kisei HaKavod and shout Rebbe! Rebbe! We want you! We need You!..

How difficult it was to bring this little boy into the world – Now the ima cries “Moishe Moishe, I want to see you!”

1:26PM: Also present is Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger Shlita.Hesped: They returned from Har HaMoriya, referring to the grandparents – with little Moishele, but in this case, this Akeida, there was no voice instructing us “Al Tishlach Yodicha el HaNa’ar”.We call on the entire Chabad community and Kol Beis Yisrael as we approach Chag HaOr, Chanukah, and Chag HaGeulah, 19 Kislev, please join us, please help spread the light. This is our message to the evil. We continue in the path of the Rebbe, for this is our way. We will reach every area of the world and we will spread the light… we will bring the message of the true Geula.Another Chapter of Tehillim is being recited, HaRav HaChossid Rav Yehuda Lev Groner, one of the Rebbe’s gabba’im, Chapter 107, the Rebbe’s Perek.

1:17PM: Prakei tehillim are also being recited by HaRav HaGaon Moshe Havlin Shlita, of Chabad Kiryat Gat, a member of the Chabad Beis Din.

HaRav HaGaon Yeshayahu Herzl Shlita, from Nazareth Illit, a family member of the Kedoshim.

[Arriving at the levaya now is President Shimon Peres. Opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu is seated among the VIPs as is Defense Minister Ehud Barak].

HaRav HaGaon Yosef Hecht Shlita, Rav of Eilat and a member of the Chabad Beis Din.

Just arriving is now HaRav Shlomo Moshe Amar Shlita, Sephardic Chief Rabbi.

1:10PM: The Av Beis Din Chabad and Rav of Kfar Chabad, HaGaon Rav Ashkenazi Shlita can been seen at the levaya as officials prepare to get underway. Minister (Kadima) Gideon Ezra is visible as well. Others present are HaRav Yisrael Meir Lau Shlita, HaRav Yitzchak Dovid Grossman Shlita, HaRav Y.Y. Aaronoff (Tzeirei Chabad), Rav Leibel Groner Shlita, Deputy PM Eli Yishai (Shas)…

The Levayos of the Holtzberg Kedoshim is now underway. The rabbonim are now tearing kriya on the aveilim and tehillim is being recited by HaGaon Rav Ze’ev Dov Slonim Shlita of the Chabad Beis Din.

12:49PM: The hespedim are underway for Bentzion Chroman HY”D in Kiryas Bobov in Bat Yam. Speaking now is HaRav HaGaon Yaakov Yisrael Meislisch Shlita.

12:45PM: From a birds-eye view, the scene at Kfar Chabad is a seemingly endless stream of fedora hats synonymous with Chabad. Members of the international Chabad community and supporters from around the world, especially Shluchim, many of whom present traveled afar to take part in the Levayos of ‘their own’, Shluchim who made the ultimate sacrifice towards spreading Torah and yiddishkeit around to an are infested with avoda zara and darkness. The levaya in Kfar Chabad is expected to get underway shortly.

12:40PM: Thousands are gathering in Kfar Chabad ahead of the levaya of Rabbi Gavriel Noach and Rivka Holtzberg HY”D, scheduled to begin at ‘770’ at 1:00PM. Chabad officials report that the hespedim at ‘770’ will be curtailed and the main levaya will take place in Yerushalayim.

Due to the fact that government ministers and VIPs will be in attendance, ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) agents are operating in ‘770’ and security in the area is extremely heavy.

12:31PM: Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar Shlita – “this is a major blow to all of Am Yisrael” explaining the victims were working to better life, totally apolitical, murdered “simply because they are Jews, descendants of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.

“We mustn’t enter into Hashem’s reasons but we must do a cheshbon nefesh and understand Hashem has a reason for events. We must improve our adherence to mitzvos…”

12:15PM: The father of Rabbi Aryeh Leibish Teitlebaum HY”D, the first maspid, speaking in a choked voice, explains [in Yiddish] the “aveilus is not that of a yochid (individual), but of all Am Yisrael”.

Bat Yam: Hundreds have arrived in the Bobov Beis Medresh as the levaya will soon get underway for R’ Bentzion Chroman HY”D. Near the body of the niftar one can see his 5-year-old son, crying, trying to understand what is taking place. Rav Meislish Shlita, Rav of Bobov Bat Yam, is also present.

12:05PM: The hespedim are underway at the Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok Beis Medresh in Meah Shearim.

In Har Menuchos, the levaya is underway of terror victim Norma Rabinovitch-Shvarzblat HY”D.

The portion of the levaya in Kfar Chabad will be curtailed and the main levaya will take place in Yerushalayim, Kfar Chabad officials are reporting.

11:45AM: The sight is heartbreaking as the levaya makes its way to Meah Shearim. Also present is Mashgiach Rav Dan Segal, HaGaon Rav Usher Weiss Shlita, Roshei Yeshiva from Ponovitz Yeshiva Shlita, MK Rabbi Meir Porush and many other rabbonim and notables.

11:20AM: The Belzer Rebbe Shlita met with the Toldos Avraham Yitzchak Rebbe Shlita, the niftar’s father-in-law. The Admorim are speaking outside Shamgar. The levaya is now en route to Meah Shearim from Shamgar Funeral Chapel. Thousands are in attendance.

11:00AM: Thousands have turned out to pay their last respects to terror victim Rabbi Aryeh Leibish Teitlebaum HY”D, a son of the Volover Rebbe of Boro Park Shlita and a son-in-law of the Toldos Avraham Yitzchak Rebbe Shlita.

Egged has halted all bus service in the area of Meah Shearim, Geula, Shichun Chabad, Shmuel HaNavi and the surrounding areas until after the levaya. [For additional transportation information, one may phone *2800 (extension 7)].

The levaya is underway in the Shamgar Funeral Chapel near Kiryat Belz. Among those seen at the levaya is the Belzer Rebbe Shlita. Thousands of Belzer Chassidim are attending as well.

The area around the Toldos Avraham Yitzchak Beis Medresh if filling with people as thousands await the funeral procession, which will soon leave Shamgar and head to Meah Shearim and from the beis medresh, mourners will make their way to Har HaZeisim.

VIDEO & PHOTO LINKS – ALL BY YEHUDA BOLTSHAUSER & CO FOR YWN:

Click HERE for Video at the Levaya in Meah Shearim; Click HERE for video of the Holzberg Levaya in Yerushalayim; Click HERE for Levaya photos. (Additional photos & video will be added shortly)

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)