Nanny becomes mother to Jewish boy orphaned during Mumbai massacre

Afula (Israel), Feb. 21 (ANI): A Jewish baby-boy, who was orphaned during the terror attack at Mumbai's Nariman House, is being mothered by his Indian nanny. The nanny had snatched him to safety under the noses of the gunmen.

On November 26, Moshe Holtzberg's parents were gunned down at Mumbai's Jewish Centre, but his nanny, Sandra Samuel, miraculously emerged with the unscratched boy.

Since that day, Sandra Samuel has rarely left Moshe's side and has now assumed the role of being his second mother.

"God has granted that I take care of this small baby. It's my responsibility to be with him now," the Daily Telegraph quoted her, as saying.

In fact, 44-year-old Samuel has been looking after the boy since he was a newborn.

Just a day before Moshe's second birthday, the terrorists took over the Chabad House and killed his Rabbi father and mother

Later, the Jewish couple's cook and nanny Samuel emerged from her hiding space in a storage closet to follow the cries of Moshe.

She found him sitting next to his mother, who lay unconscious next to him. His clothes were splattered with blood. She scooped the wailing toddler into her arms and rushed to safety outside.

She has now decided to stay with Moshe's grandparents' house in the northern Israeli town of Afula for "as long as he needs her".

"He is always close by to me. When I'm not there for ten or fifteen minutes, he asks where I am. I am very happy to be with him. He loves me and I love him. It is all God's grace," said Samuel.

She plans to tell Moshe about his parents when he gets older.

"I will tell him his parents were extraordinary. They were so special, so warm. I still have not processed that they are not here anymore," she said.

Moshe's mother, Rivka Holtzberg, 28, was six months pregnant when she was shot. Moshe's father, Gavriel Holtzberg, 29 was also found shot and killed along with seven others who had been guests at the Jewish guesthouse.

Moshe's grandfather, Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg said that in the immediate days after the attack the toddler was afraid to be around men so Samuel's help was crucial.

"He has a strong connection to her, like a mother. He is with her all the time," he said.

When he asks where his mother and father are, he is told they are in heaven and will often peer into the sky looking for them.

He also asks about his older brother Dov, who suffered from a severe genetic disease called Tay-Sachs and died about a month after his parents at the age of four and a half.

When Moshe cries out for his parents, which he does less often than he used to, it's hard for his grandparents to keep their composure.

"This is difficult, it breaks our heart. But we try our best never to appear upset in front of him," he said. (ANI)