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It was difficult for the tight-knit Lubavitch community to be grateful for the news coming out of Mumbai, India, on Nov. 26.

The first 24 hours of coverage had little information to provide aside from the facts: a Chabad House in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) was taken over by terrorists in part of a plot to attack 10 populated spots in the financial heart of India. There was little that the Crown Heights, Brooklyn-based movement could do but pray and wait for news.

And then the news broke. On the third day of the siege, Indian authorities announced that after hours of fighting with the Islamic terrorists, commandos entered the building and found six lifeless bodies inside. Two of the bodies were of Rabbi Gavriel Noach and Mrs. Rivka Holtzberg, the shluchim, or emissaries, from Chabad-Lubavitch to Mumbai. A Crown Heights native, Holtzberg and his Israeli wife moved to Mumbai in 2003 to pour their efforts into bringing Jewish life to the 4,500-strong Jewish Indian community as well as to any Jewish travelers passing through the financial district.

"Gavriel was absolutely excited to go to Mumbai," said Rabbi Eliezer Zaklikovsky, of the Chabad Jewish Center of Monroe and a friend of Holtzberg's. "He looked forward to it his whole life. He spent time in the Far East, helping other Chabad houses in Bangkok [Thailand]. He was elated to get his own Chabad house."

The Holtzbergs were only two of more than 170 victims in last week's attacks, which stretched more than 60 hours and wounded more than 300 in the process. Rabbi Gavi, as he was affectionately known in India, was one of six Americans killed in the attack.

Chabad Jewish centers from all over New Jersey held memorials in response to the Holtzbergs' passing.

Chabad Jewish Center of Monroe held a Sabbath candle-lighting ceremony on Friday afternoon, inspiring 30 women and girls in the community to come and light a candle in the merit of Mrs. Holtzberg. This memorial echoed the sentiments of Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, the chairman of worldwide educational and social services for Chabad.

"As the Shabbat approaches, we call upon Jewish women and girls to brighten the profound darkness the world is witnessing, and usher in the Shabbat by lighting the traditional Shabbat candles, 18 minutes before sunset," Krinsky said in a statement on Nov. 28. "I am certain that this would be Gaby's and Rivka's wish."

Rabbi Eli Kornfeld, of the Chabad of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Union Counties, was friendly with Rabbi Holtzberg before Holtzberg went to India. The two rabbis went to yeshiva together in Brooklyn for a few years in the 1990s.

Going to India was "something he was very excited about," Kornfeld said. "He wanted to go to Mumbai. His wife also wanted to go. Obviously, it was going to a distant land far away from his family and friends, but he was determined to help the Jewish community there. He was extremely successful in what he did."

Kornfeld also remembers Holtzberg for his love of Torah learning.

"He was a scholar," Kornfeld said. "He rose above his peers. In yeshiva, everyone is studying, but it was clear that he was a scholar and he really excelled beyond his age."

Most of all, Kornfeld sad, Holtzberg was a kind-hearted person who was eager to share his life with others.

"I know many people who went as visitors and students there, and they just raved about his warmth, commitment, dedication and [how he was never] deterred or even inconvenienced by the challenges that an observant Jew would have in a place like Mumbai, India. I heard these stores all along the five years he's been there."

He said Jews all over the world knew of Rabbi and Mrs. Holtzberg's hospitality. They knew the Chabad of India as a place for lodging, Shabbat, and kosher food.

"It did not matter if it was food or a class - man, woman, or child, the doors were always open," Kornfeld said. "While Chabad rabbis and those that dedicate themselves to the community are doing all selfless work, the [phrase] for Gavi and Rivki's personalities is 'totally selfless.' It wasn't about his challenges in life. What mattered to him most is what he could do for other people."

Chabad of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Union is also having a memorial Sunday evening, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m. Raritan Valley Community College. One of the speakers will be the first Indian assemblyman from New Jersey: Upendra Chivukula.

Chabad of Central New Jersey held a press briefing with Israeli Consul General Asaf Sharif on Dec. 1, accompanied by a candle-lighting ceremony in honor of the Holtzbergs. In response to the attacks, Executive Director Rabbi Yosef Carlebach announced that the boys' dormitory wing, which is in its first stages of building, will be named after Rabbi and Mrs. Holtzberg.

"The attack last week by terrorists was not only an attack on Chabad, it was not only an attack on the people of Israel, but it was an attack on every living being that believes in life, believes in humanity and decency," Carlebach remarked. "We mourn greatly today. We will not forget these holy people, these kedoshim."

Chabad of East Brunswick had a memorial service for the victims of the attack on Monday evening and will be holding a special tribute for the Holtzbergs over Hanukkah. The center's rabbi, Aryeh Goodman, also announced plans of an education program called "No Jewish Child Left Behind," which is currently being developed.

"There has been a lot of support; a lot of people coming and encouraging us to move forward," Goodman said. "Our youth programs have strengthened and the Hebrew school has strengthened to focus on the Jewish youth specifically."

Additionally, Goodman set up a fund to rebuild the Chabad in India, as well as one for the couple's two year old son, Moshe, who survived the attacks. The child was rescued by his nanny, Sandra Samuel. Both returned to Israel to be with Rivka's parents, Rabbi Shimon and Yehudis Rosenberg.

"The Holtzbergs' toddler son, Moshe'le… will mark his second birthday tomorrow, on Shabbat, Nov. 29," Krinsky said. "Today, he became an orphan without a dad and mom to lovingly embrace him and celebrate with him. The world of Lubavitch and our emissaries will adopt this beautiful young toddler and assure him of the best possible upbringing into adulthood."

Information about Chabad-Lubavitch's fund to rebuild Chabad of Mumbai can be found at www.chabad.org.

Rabbi Mendy Carlebach of the Chabad of South Brunswick held a "very wonderful" Sabbath service Nov. 29.

"[It was] not particularly a memorial service, because on Shabbat you don't do memorial services, but the outpouring of people who want to do something in honor of Gavi and his wife, Rivki, was just tremendous," Carlebach said. "We're reaching out to everybody and encouraging them to come to synagogue."

Carlebach placed special importance on the upcoming Hanukkah holiday, to add "light during this terrible, dark time."

"It's really sad that it took this to bring people out, but God must be really looking down and saying, 'this is the response that I wanted,'" Carlebach said. "We have an obligation to ask God, 'why?' We don't know why, but we definitely know that in the response that we're giving, we're increasing [the] good."

In a video recorded recently and posted to Chabad.org, Rabbi Gavi speaks of the work of his Chabad in tones saturated with enthusiasm. Holtzberg can barely contain his excitement as he talks about the kosher food, daily prayer quorum, and holiday celebrations that the 4,500 Jews of India can partake in with his help.

It is this enthusiasm that Zaklikovsky thinks of whenever Rabbi Gavi comes up in conversation. It is this enthusiasm that will be so hard to replace in Mumbai Chabad. However, Zaklikovsky said, "We absolutely plan on rebuilding in Mumbai."

"Chabad is already requesting [for] people to go to Mumbai," Zaklikovsky said. "In fact, Rivka's parents want to stay until Moshe'le takes over. I don't know who's going to end up staying there, but there are requests to stay there. At an impromptu memorial in Mumbai this morning, Rabbi

Rosenberg spoke and announced that the child should continue the work of his parents."

What moved Sharif the most, however, was Samuel's decision to stay with Moshe in Israel and to return to Israel in two years.

"This is an Indian lady who never heard of Chabad or Jewish people two years ago," Sharif said. "She says she's moving to Israel with the boy. She said in the interview that she would do it for only two years because her purpose is to go back to Bombay and to work for Chabad House in Bombay. People asked her, 'Do you think it will be rebuilt after what happened?' This lady, who never heard of Jewish people before Chabad, said, 'this is the house of Gavi and Rivki. Of course it will be rebuilt.' And when you hear an Indian lady speaking like that, you know for a fact that although it's not the best week of our history, am yisrael chai."