Nariman House, under siege in 26/11 attacks, to be turned into memorial

MUMBAI: Nariman House in Colaba, which was under siege during the 26/11 terror attacks, is being converted into a “living memorial” for those killed in the 2008 carnage.

The memorial, being set up by Jewish organization Chabad-Lubavitch, will be formally announced at an event during

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

’s visit to the city this week, said

Rabbi Israel Kozolovasky

, currently heading Nariman House.

Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, the Jewish couple who served as directors at Nariman House, also known as Chabad House, were killed along with six others by Pakistan-based LeT terrorists during the 2008 attacks.

The couple’s son

Moshe

Holtzberg, who was two years old then and was saved by his Indian nanny Sandra Samuels, will return to Nariman House this week for the first time since the attacks. Kozolovasky said Moshe, now 11, has a emotional connect with the country. “The first thing that he said he wants to see is Nariman House followed by the Gateway of India,” he added.

“The memorial will put the spotlight on the lives of Rabbi Gavriel and his wife and the ideals and values that they lived by for the benefit of humanity,” Kozolovasky said. The memorial will include the apartment where the Holtzbergs lived, as well as the sites where the killings happened, he added. The terrace will be converted into a garden where the names of all the victims will be engraved, while a portion of the fifth floor that was destroyed by bullets in the attack will be kept as it is.

The fourth floor will house a museum, he said, adding Chabad Trust plans to keep the place open to visitors. Kozolovasky said an Israeli designer, who is a specialist in designing “experience centres” , has been asked to work on the project.

Kozolovasky said there was a plan to raise funds for the memorial. “It will reflect the spirit of Mumbai and India, which has successfully fought terror on many occasions,” he added. Agencies