9 years after devastating 26/11 carnage, 'Baby' Moshe returns to Mumbai

MUMBAI: Moshe Holtzberg, who lost his parents during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, returned to the Nariman House in the city this week for the first time since the tragedy struck the family more than nine years ago.

Moshe was two years old when his parents - Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and Rivika - were killed during the siege at the Nariman House by 10 Pakistani terrorists in November 2008. The terrorists carried out the attacks over three days and killed 166 people.

The Jewish couple ran a cultural and outreach centre for the Chabad-Lubavitch movement at the Nariman House in South Mumbai's Colaba area.


File image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi hugs 11-year-old Moshe Holtzberg, one of the survivors of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, in Jerusalem, Israel. Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu is also seen. (Image: AP)

Moshe will later fly back to Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on January 19.

Netanyahu's India visit began on January 14, 2018.



Accompanying Moshe was Sandra Samuels, the brave Indian nanny who saved him during the terror attack.

Samuels, who was awarded an honorary citizenship by the Israeli government so that she could live in the country and be with Moshe, continues to share a unique bonding with the little boy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Moshe and his grandparents during a visit to Israel in July last year and told him that he could visit India anytime.

While meeting Modi, Moshe had said, "I remember our connection to Nariman House. I hope I will be able to visit Mumbai and when I get older, live there."

"Dear Mr Modi, I love you and the people in India," Moshe had said.

While accepting the long-term visa which India issued to Moshe and his grandparents, Rosenberg had requested the Indian ambassador that the Nariman House building be registered with the land registry department as belonging to Moshe Holtzberg.