Jewish center reopens

The Jewish center Chabad House has reopened in Mumbai's popular Colaba area after being closed since 2008, when the city was held hostage by ten terrorists on a three-day rampage, in which high-profile spots in the city were targeted and 166 people were killed.

The Chabad House, which had been established by Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg in 2003 to provide a place for people of the Orthodox Chabad-Lubavich persuasion in Mumbai, was a target for the militants, who stormed the building and killed six people inside.

The five-storey building has been refurbished and includes a synagogue, offices, guest rooms, a restaurant and a function room for the Jewish community. The top two floors are set to be turned into a memorial for the slain rabbi and his family, and a commemorative museum.

Rabbi Holtzberg was killed along with his wife during the rampage in 2008. On the day of the reopening, his father Nachman Holtzberg attended and described it as a "very special day."

"Everybody remembers the terrifying day when there was the tragedy and everything stopped," he said, adding, "This is the day that we can celebrate their lives and the message of light that they spread."

Rabbi Israel Kozlovsky, the new co-director of the center, said he was "truly humbled" to take up the job, describing the Holtzbergs as "role models."

"Although they are not with us physically today, I'm sure they are in spirit with us and they are very proud," he said.

Some neighbors of Chabad House are reported to have voiced security concerns regarding the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, which has entered its 50th day.

sb/se (AP, dpa, Reuters)