Moshe Holtzberg was a toddler when he survived the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008. On Wednesday, the Jewish boy will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jerusalem. And ahead of the meet, Moshe's grandfather says that he is "excited and emotional."
In 2008, terrorists had stormed into Mumbai's Nariman House also known as Chabad House and taken the toddler, shortly before his second birthday, and his parents hostage along with several other tourists. Sandra Samuels, Moshe's Indian nanny, was also present inside the building but hid in a room downstairs.
When Samuels heard the baby crying, she emerged from the room she was hiding in only to find Moshe standing between the bodies of his parents — Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, the directors of Nariman House. She grabbed the child and ran away from the building. Nariman House was shut down following the attack and then reopened in 2014 after renovation.
Moshe is now 11 years old and lives with his grandparents — Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg and Yehudit Rosenberg — in Israel's Afula city.
"Moshe is excited and emotional. We all are. We attach a lot of importance to the visit of Modi to Israel and his deciding to meet us," Rabbi Shimon told PTI.
"We all are here at Jerusalem from Afula to meet the Indian prime minister. This meeting is very important to us as the prime minister, who represents 125 crore Indians, has shown a desire to meet Moshe and us."
"I could not believe my ears when I got a call from the Indian ambassador saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to meet us. India has given too much love to Moshe and all of us. God bless India and Prime Minister Modi. It is nice to know that we have not been forgotten and that Indians share our pain," he added.
When asked whether Moshe remembers the attack, his grandfather told PTI: "He doesn't speak much (on the terror attacks) but says Chabad House is his home." Rabbi Shimon added that Moshe would be visiting Chabad House after he turns 13.
Samuels, Moshe's 53-year-old nanny, was granted honorary citizenship by the Israeli government in 2008 and now, frequently travels from her home in Jerusalem to Afula to meet the child and his grandparents. Both the Rosenbergs and Samuels have been invited to meet PM Modi.
