Jerusalem: Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli boy who was just two years old when he lost his parents in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, is touched by the heartwarming message sent by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which he described the teenager's story as a "miracle" which continues to inspire everyone.
The letter was sent by the prime minister on Moshe's Bar Mitzvah, a ceremony performed for Jewish boys at the age of 13. Some Israeli scholars compare Bar Mitzvah with upnayana, or the thread ceremony. Moshe turned 13 as per the Gregorian calendar on November 28.
"Moshe was very touched by the letter from (prime minister) Modi. The fact that the leader of a country so big as India sends a heartwarming letter like this, has given a lot of strength to Moshe. He was very happy to see the Indian Ambassador coming with his whole team of diplomats for the event," the now thirteen year old boy's grandfather, Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg, told PTI.
In one of the deadliest terror attacks in India's history, 166 people were killed and over 300 injured when 10 heavily-armed Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists from Pakistan created mayhem in Mumbai on November 26, 2008.
The terrorists also targeted the Nariman House (also known as Chabad House) where six Jews, including Moshe's parents Rabbi Gabriel and Rivka Holtzberg, were killed. They were Chabad emissaries to Mumbai at that time.
"He (Moshe) was specially touched by the words Modi wrote that he is waiting for him to grow and come to Mumbai as the emissary of Chabad. This is something that has given him a lot of energy and strength. This is not coming just from the Jews, but from the Prime Minister of India himself. He also recalled the warm emotional hug that he got from Prime Minister Modi when they met," Rosenberg added.
In a moving message, Modi congratulated Moshe by describing his story as a "miracle" which continues to "inspire" everyone.
During the Mumbai attack, Moshe, standing and crying between his dead parents' bodies, was saved in a daring move by his brave nanny, Sandra Samuels, who was hiding in a room downstairs when the attack happened.
Pictures of Sandra holding the little boy close to her chest after escaping from the place touched the hearts of millions of people all over the world.
"As you make this important transition and cross a significant landmark in the journey of your life, the courage of [nanny] Sandra [Samuel] and prayers of the people of India will continue to bless you for a long, healthy and successful life," Modi wrote in a letter sent to Moshe, who celebrated his Bar Mitzvah last Sunday.