Hours after the eight-day Jewish festival of Hanukkah began on Sunday evening, Nariman House in Colaba was lit up in the memory of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka who were killed in the terrorist attack on Nariman House. A huge 15-foot high traditional ‘menorah’, a nine-stemmed candelabrum, was placed against the façade of the building whose interiors were almost completely destroyed by gunshots and grenades during the attacks. The lamps were lit by Rabbi Dav Goldberg, who is set to take charge of the Mumbai Chabad centre’s activities. Also present at the ceremony were Rabbi Goldberg’s wife Cherna and daughter Liba.“They sang prayer songs as locals clapped along,” said Mayur Kokam, a social worker. “It was a shraddhanjali,” he said. Hanukkah marks the victory of good over evil and is celebrated by lighting the menorah in homes and synagogues.
