Toulouse, France – On what would have been the tenth wedding anniversary of Gavriel and Rivky Holzberg, the Chabad shluchim who were murdered in the Mumbai terror attacks just over three years ago, comes the chilling news that Gavriel Sandler, the three year old boy murdered in Toulouse school shooting on Monday had been named in memory slain shaliach Gavriel Holzberg.
According to reports in Arutz Sheva, Rivky Holzberg’s father, R’ Shimon Rosenberg, said that he relived the horrors of Mumbai after hearing of the brutal murders in France Monday morning.
“This is a difficult day for Jews everywhere,” said R’ Rosenberg. “I feel the pain of the families of those who were gunned down, the Jews of France and the entire Jewish people. This act of cold blooded murder took me back to the murder of my children. I spoke to one of the members of the Sandler family yesterday who told me that their Gavriel had been named in memory of my son in law, which makes me feel as if we are now family.”
Lifting his head to the sky Rosenberg said “Hashem, must our blood be spilled in all corners of the world? We are in Sefer Vayikra, the sefer of korbanos and there is no doubt that the Sandler and Monsonego families have brought actual korbanos.”
Rosenberg called upon nations across the world to unite against terror attacks.
R’ Shimon Rosenberg in interview with Arutz 7
Hashem takes the best and the pure as a sacrifices.
While I would not make much of the name, as the rest of them were most probably not names after murder victims, I would take note that someone who would think of giving a name after someone they do not know, is selfless and special.
Just when it appeared that the events couldn’t be more horrific…this news just rips at my heart.
Wow. What a zechia,
Rachmanah Yatzileynu!
Perhaps this is why Jews don’t usually name a child after someone who died young.
Little yiddishe korbonos nebech, rips your heart out to see these pure neshamas taken by this monster
What’s scary is, other parents out there who have named their boys Gavriel after Gavrile Holztberg….I wonder what they’re thinking….
This is just way too much. I cannot comprehend this enormous tragedy.
Two legged animals gunning down babies in cold blood for no other reason than being Jewish
This bitter golus has to end immediatly.
My daughter was named after Rivkah Holtzberg and no, I am not ‘spooked’ like some of the commenters are implying we should be. Every other Jewish child alive today was name after someone who was killed by the Nazis, the Soviets, or some other group of Jew haters. I don’t really understand why this would be any different.
There is a known custom to add a name of chaim or alte(old in yiddish) if naming after someone which passed away young..
not only that but his seccond name was Sandler named after his Grandfather which his Yor Tzait was the same day of the murder!!!