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Orphan cries out for parents at service for Jewish victims
Amar Singh and Richard Orange1 Dec 2008
Moshe HoltzbErg, two-year old orphan of the Rabbi and his wife killed by terrorists in a Mumbai Jewish complex, was at the centre of an emotionally charged service today at one of the city's synagogues.
Held by his grieving grandmother, he cried out "Ima" and "Dada", Hebrew for mother and father, at the prayers for Mumbai's Jewish community. The toddler's parents - Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and Rivka Holtzberg - were among six Jewish people killed in Nariman House. Israeli officials who travelled to the city say the toll could be higher, as forensic teams search the site.
The five-storey building served as an educational centre, synagogue and hostel for Israeli tourists. Moshe survived after his Indian nanny Sandra Samuel, 44, fled with him in her arms as militants captured the building.
More than 100 mourners attended the service at the Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue today, including Israel's ambassador to India, Mark Sofer.
The service came as Britons wounded in the attacks today returned home, with one revealing shocking new details of his ordeal. Harnish Patel, 29, from Putney, was discharged from Mumbai's Jaslok hospital with Dianne and Michael Murphy, and brought back to Britain in an air ambulance. Mr Murphy, the most severely wounded, had to be transported in a special cardiac vehicle.
The trio were taken to hospitals near their homes to continue their treatment. As they boarded the plane in Mumbai, Mr Patel said: "I don't think anybody knows how severe my injuries were. I was shot three times. It's only today that they told me the details.
"Both bullets in my leg went all the way through. I didn't realise that when the bullet exits, that's where it makes the biggest mess. They went through two thighs and somehow missed every bone and artery." He said he was increasingly plagued by memories of the event. "There were two old people next to me who'd been shot through their faces, and they were piled on top of each other, their faces hanging off. I almost vomited." Mr Patel said he was now looking forward to meeting his family again, as he tried to put the events of Mumbai behind him.
Reader views (2)
I wonder if Palestinian children cry when their parent are bombed and tortured by the Israelis. Will we ever know since the media has such a lack of interest?
Britain is already fighting a Jewish war by proxy in Iran and Afghanistan. Before the emotional outpouring try walking in the shoes of the destitute and downtrodden before we totally condemn them.
I do not condone terrorism of any kind but the more I travel the more iniquity I see and the more I begin to understand the frustration of the have nothings.
Whether we like it or not we are going to have to understand what motivates people to bring murder and mayhem to our 'civilisation'. We are going to have to engage them in talk and we are going to have to support grass roots political movements in countries like Zimbabwe and Pakistan and dare I say the UK.
I don't like it but the Third World War of the have's versus the have not's has begun, and this will result in a radical realignment of the middle East.
- Geoff D, London, 02/12/2008 10:05
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And all because governments, especially ours, are appeasing murderers and would-be murderers. The only way to deal with terrorists is kill them when you can not nurture them as we do here. This poor little kid has had his parents snatched away - for what? Because they were Jewish and hadn't harmed anyone. An eye for an eye..
- Judith C, London, UK, 01/12/2008 19:36
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