26/11: Nariman House to turn into memorial

Mumbai, January 14

The Nariman House, that was under siege during the 26/11 terror attacks, is being converted into a "living memorial" dedicated to those killed in the carnage.

A formal announcement on the setting up of the memorial will be made during the Mumbai visit of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu this week.

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Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, the Jewish couple who served as directors at the Nariman House, also known as the Chabad House, were killed along with six others when the place came under attack by 10 Pakistani terrorists during the November 2008 attacks.

The couple ran a cultural and outreach centre for the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in the five-storey landmark building in south Mumbai's Colaba area.

The couple’s son Moshe Holtzberg, who was two years old then and was saved by his Indian nanny, will return to the Nariman House this week for the first time since the tragedy struck the family more than nine years ago.

The memorial, being set up by Jewish organisation Chabad-Lubavitch, will be formally announced at an event during Netanyahu’s visit here on Thursday, Rabbi Israel Kozolovasky, who heads the Nariman House, said.

The “living memorial” has been designed to educate and inspire people of all faiths to act for the betterment of themselves, their communities and the world, he said.

The memorial will include the apartment where the Holtzbergs lived, as well as the sites where the killings happened, he said. The terrace of the Nariman House will be turned into a garden where names of all the victims will be engraved, he said.

“On the terrace, there will be a reflection garden that will focus on and recognise all the victims of 26/11,” the official said. A portion of the fifth floor, destroyed by bullets in the terror attack, will be kept as it is, he said. The fourth floor will house a museum. The Chabad Trust is working on raising funds for the memorial, he said. — PTI

Netanyahu’s  state visit to India — itinerary

• Jan 15: Reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan; visit to Rajghat; delegation-level talks with PM Narendra Modi; call on President Ram Nath Kovind
• Jan 16: Visit to Taj Mahal; take part in Raisina Dialogue at Delhi
• Jan 17: Visit to Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad; attend iCreate event; visit to Centre of Excellence, Vadrad; leave for Mumbai
• Jan 18: Power breakfast with Indian CEOs; lay wreath at Taj Hotel; visit to Nariman House-Chabad Centre; attend ‘Shalom Bollywood’ event