‘Baby Moshe’: The boy who survived 26/11

Moshe Tzvi
Holtzberg was just two years old when Ajmal Kasab and nine other Lashkar-e-Taiba
militants carried out a series of terror attacks in Mumbai from November 26,
2008, killing at least 166 people and wounding hundreds others over three
days.  

Also Read | Hemant Karkare: Remembering 26/11 hero who put others’ security over his own

His parents,
Rabbi Gavriel Holtberg and Rivika, were the Chabad emissaries to India, and ran
a Jewish outreach centre at the Nariman House, a landmark building in South Mumbai’s
Colaba.  

Baby Moshe,
as he has been popularly known since the attacks, was one of the three survivors of
the attack at Nariman House, including his saviour and nanny Sandra Samuel and a
cook.

On that
fateful night, two gunmen stormed the building – later renamed as the Nariman
Light House – and killed six people, including both Moshe’s parents. During
the attack, Samuel had taken refuge on the first floor of the six-storey
building, and later heard Moshe’s cries.

She found
the toddler lying next to his dead parents on the second floor and fled from
the building. Pictures of her holding Moshe close to her chest and running from
the building grabbed worldwide attention.

Also Read | 26/11: A timeline of terror attacks that wreaked havoc in Mumbai

Speaking to
news agency PTI a decade after the incident, Samuel recalled the “horrific ordeal”.

“It was a
miracle that we came out alive from there. I believe God has his own plans for
everybody,” she said, adding that memories of the attack made her sick after her
return to Israel, leading to a week-long hospitalisation.

An
Indian-Israeli national and the mother of two sons, Samuel said that Moshe continues
to remain scarred by the incident and is scared of the dark. “He doesnt say
anything. But in the night, he wants all lights on. He is very afraid of
darkness. He can’t sleep even in a dim light.”

Moshe returned
to Mumbai in January 2018, along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when the two unveiled a memorial to commemorate the attack.

Also Read | 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks: Remembering Vijay Salaskar, the ‘one-man show’

He
celebrated his ‘bar mitzvah’ in November 2019, a traditional Jewish coming-of-age
ceremony for boys and Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote a letter to extend his
wishes on the occasion.

“Shalom and
Namaste from India! I am very happy to learn about your bar mitzvah. As you
make this important transition and cross a significant landmark in the journey
of your life, the courage of Sandra and prayers of the people of India will
continue to bless you for a long, healthy and successful life,” PM Modi wrote.

“Your story continues to inspire everyone. It is one of miracle and hope overcoming tragedy and immeasurable loss.”