Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Issue Of Unity Should Be Pursued After Mumbai Attack

Jerusalem - Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok Rebbe: Issue Of Unity Should Be Pursued After Mumbai Attack


Published on: Today at 02:04 PM
News Source: VIN News - Ladaat News Service

Jerusalem - The Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok Rebbe met this afternoon with members of the Rosenberg and Holtzberg families whose children died in the murderous attack on the Chabad center in Mumbai, India.


The meeting resulted from a phone conversation between the Rebbe and Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg this past Sunday, in which the Rebbe stated that he wanted to personally pay a shiva call to the Rosenbergs in Afula but found it hard after the shiva visits he had already made. The Rebbe asked if he could visit after the family completed shiva.


After completing shiva Tuesday and visiting Har Hazeisim, the Rosenberg and Holtzberg families traveled to visit the Rebbe. Also visiting the Rebbe was the Volover Rebbi of Brooklyn, the father of Rabbi Leibish Teitelbaum, who had also died in the attack.

Quoting the Zohar, the Rebbe said that after the crying and mourning of shiva, there must be happiness in accepting the event from Hshem. The Rebbe ended with the hope that only joy prevails from now on, and that unity continues.


Rabbi Rosenberg commented that "we are all Chasidim of the Baal Shem Tov" and that the most important thing is "to win hearts." "What happened here in the last week-and-a-half, that an amazing show of unity took form, needs to continue," he said. The Rebbe agreed and said that everything must be done to perpetuate those sentiments forged during the last week in the Chareidi public-sentiments of unity and concern for one another.




The Rebbe said that the momentum created must be capitalized upon so as to continue the unity so that it not be forgotten, G-d forbid. He added that Moshiach will come when we all do teshuvah, and that the question may be asked why the geulah didn't come in the past week. "The moment we heard about the Chabad center, everyone was moved to teshuvah. It touched everyone's heart, from Chareidi and religious to the general Jewish public in Israel and the world. Seemingly, that moment was fit for the geulah to come ot the world." We must watch this issue, the Rebbe said, advising that community activists sit around one table to see how to communicate the message in the Chareidi media that unity continue. "By you in Chabad," he said to the families, "you have people who know well how to do that."


The Rebbe concluded with l'chaim l'ilui nishmas the murdered kedoshim.


The visit was arranged though Rabbi Elazar Gelbstein, a Lubavitcher and close confidante of the Rebbe and a friend of the Rosenberg family.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Jerusalem - When terrorists stormed the Chabad-Lubavitch center in Mumbai, India, and stole the life of Rabbi Aryeh Leibish Teitelbaum, 37, they also took a father from his eight young children.
Ordinarily, the rabbi wouldn’t have been in Mumbai. But he took the trip so that his own father wouldn’t have to. He didn’t live long enough for his father to thank him for the good deed.
Known as an extremely learned individual, Teitelbaum was the son of the Volover Rav from Boro Park, N.Y. He married the daughter of the Rebbe of the Toldos Avraham Yitzchak Chasidic community and made his home in Israel. From a young age, his abilities in Torah learning were well-known, and he attended prestigious yeshivas around the world.
His children’s own education was a prime concern. According to Yitzchok Cohen in an article for Hamodia, Teitelbaum would call weekly to check on the progress of one of his sons. It was not enough to know that the son was learning; Teitelbaum wanted to ensure that he was motivated as well.
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Along with his intensive study of the Torah, Teitelbaum assisted his father as a supervisor for the Volover kosher certifying agency. An American citizen, he traveled the world to ensure proper operations at various production facilities, personally inspecting the ingredients going into kosher products.

8 Precious kids left by Reb Liebish Hy'd
When he was back home in Israel, however, he could be found once again in the study hall from early in the morning until late in the evening. On Shabbat, the rabbi and his wife Frume kept an open home for a cadre of American students studying at local yeshivas.
“He saw his purpose to be a rabbi in Israel in order to continue the legacy of his family,” Shmuel Poppenheim, a friend, told The Jerusalem Post.
Last week’s trip to India was originally unscheduled. Teitelbaum’s father was supposed to travel to the South Asian nation and China on a tour of several factories, but the son volunteered to go to spare his father the difficulty. He asked a colleague, Rabbi Bentzion Kruman of Bat Yam, to accompany him. An unexpected early stop in production at the facility they were supervising last Wednesday gave them some extra time to attend afternoon services at Mumbai’s Chabad House and learn Torah.
Shortly after they arrived, terrorists stormed the building. Their bodies were among the six victims retrieved by forensic teams after a Friday evening raid on the location by Indian commandos.
“The bullets found him after prayer, while studying inside the Chabad House,” said Poppenheim. “He died there sanctifying G-d’s name.”
After a Tuesday morning memorial service in Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim neighborhood, Rabbi Aryeh Leibish Teitelbaum was buried at the Mount of Olives cemetery.
A fund has been established to help the Teitelbaum family click here to donate