Reema Lokesh – Mumbai
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Nick Appelbaum
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One of the targets of the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks the Chabad House centre reopened in Mumbai with a promise to wipe terror through love, respect and culture and give visitors to Mumbai another must see site on their itineraries. The Centre, committed to the service of Jews both national and international will also house a dedicated museum in respect of the Late Rabbi Gavriel and his late wife Rivka Holtzberg who were targets of the terror attack on November 28, 2008. Apart from the museum the Chabad international team is working on installing a full fledged memorial in remembrance of all those innocent lives that were lost during the terror attacks.
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Rabbi Moshe Gourarie
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According to Nick Appelbaum, of Ralph Appelbaum Associates, New York who is working on the museum and memorial project, “The memorial will be the first of its kind in Mumbai and India, wherein the names of every individual who perished in the attacks will be inscribed on the 26/11 memorial.” The memorial is scheduled to be built on the terrace of the Chabad house as a symbol of tolerance, solidarity and peace.
The Museum which will be on two dedicated floors in the house, will be a state of the art set up but keeping the history and authenticity of the place intact. Appelbaum added that, “We do not want to white wash history and keep certain parts the way the terrorists had left it, but our aims to provide the world a perspective that there is hope in darkness and a candle can light up a dark room. We intend to narrate positive stories on universal moral principles through the museum and take a comment for visitors to make a commitment toward a better world.” The museum experience is going to be a visual experience of both sight and sound, from despair to hope.
Rabbi Moshe Gourarie, who is also working on the museum and memorial project, said, “The museum is for one and all. It will provide an insight into Jewish life, culture and living. The experience will be educational and fun with interesting glimpses of life and living.” The fifth floor of the museum will be recreated as the house of the late Rabbi and will be a walk-in experience on the culture and tradition on a race and religion. Chabad international is responsible for the fund raising of both the museum and memorial which is said to be approximately US$2.5 million.
