Posted on 11/28/2008 7:45:37 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
A Brooklyn rabbi and his wife were found among the dead in a series of terrorist attacks in India that have claimed more than 150 lives. In response to the attacks, the NYPD beefed up patrols around large hotels and Jewish centers, including the Lubavitch headquarters, said NYPD spokesman Paul Browne.
The department already was on alert because of a warning earlier this week of a possible al-Qaida plot to strike the city's rail systems over the holidays.
"The threat is serious, the threat is significant, and it is plausible," said Congressman Peter King, R-Long Island, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee.
There was anger and frustration on Friday at the Lubavitch world headquarters on Eastern Parkway.
"This news is fresh, and the wound is raw," Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky said.
Dead is Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, 29, and his 28-year-old wife, Rivka, whose home was Brooklyn. They were the parents of two children. They ran the Chabad-Lubavitch of Mumbai, an overseas mission popular with Israeli tourists.
"Reports we heard around the world, he was a real mensch … a special person ... very, very special people," Rabbi Mosche Kotlarsky said through tears.
Also in the besieged Jewish center was the couple's son, who will turn 2 years old on Saturday. That child had been smuggled out with blood-stained pants, but was not hurt and is now safely with his grandparents. The other child is also safe.
Shortly after the Hertzbergs were found dead, psalms were recited for the couple who devoted their lives to the service of others.
Rabbi Shalom Paltiel grew up with Rabbi Holtzberg.
"He was a gifted scholar at the Yeshiva. He helped everybody," Rabbi Paltiel said. "He was a man of love, a man of heart."
The Holtzbergs arrived in Mumbai in 2003 to serve the local Jewish community. The two ran a synagogue, offering religious instruction and helping people dealing with drug addiction and poverty, Kotlarsky said.
For the past two days, the five-story headquarters of Chabad in Mumbai has been besieged by terrorists, with Indian commandos rappelling from helicopters in an attempt to root them out. A series of explosions and fire rocked the building and blew giant holes in the wall.
Authorities said three other hostages and two gunmen were also killed but they weren't immediately identified.
Won’t happen. As this incident goes from first page above the fold to back page, it will fade into history with no resolution.
“Reports we heard around the world, he was a real mensch … a special person...”
I’m sure he was.
RIP
Ping!
As much as I agree with you, don’t expect it to come from US.
Attention NYPD, you can relax until about the 3rd week in January. Nothing will happen until then.
Although I am an absolute total failure at prognostication, I agree with AT.
But the Indians might hold a surprise or two for us. Or not.
Until the Hindus begin rioting in the streets and killing every Moslem in sight.
God bless them, I hope so ...
God bless them, I hope so ...
Oops - worth repeating.
And so it was repeated... *\;-)
Was down in lower Manhattan today and saw a National Guardsman carrying an automatic rifle I had never seen before.
It vaguely resembled an M16 and had a curved magazine which looked like it might hold 25-30 rounds. I was tempted to take a picture of the Guardsman but thought better of it.
I’m no gun expert but I know it wasn’t an M16
It was probably an AR15, which is sort of a cilvilian version of an M16. They generaly aren’t full auto but use the same rounds. A true M16 can burn through a clip in a couple of seconds, which isn’t a good thing.
I’m in Penn station tomorrow and Sunday, the crowd there after the Macys parade was unbelievable.
All it takes is one raghead with a belt and all hell will break loose, can’t believe it hasn’t happened yet, with Hussein in the WH it is a done deal.
I got out of a cab on 33rd and 6th right after the parade and walked a block to Penn station.
Walked right in the main entrance, no security, literally thousands of people pushing and shoving to get down the one stairway to track 6 on NJ Transit.
If somebody set off a smoke bomb or an M80 there would be 100 dead in the resulting stampede.
Anybody who thinks the NYPD is doing anything other than collecting overtime is retarded
Go Democrats! Boom Boom. Go Democrats! Murder Murder
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