'Imma Imma," the cries of Baby Moshe still fill up my ears

There was not a single person in the hall who did not have tears in their eyes.

I can never get over the cries of 'Imma Imma' by a two year old baby. It was December 1 2008 and the horrific Mumbai 26/11 attack had just come to an end. I wanted to be at the Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue at Kala Ghoda, Mumbai and extend my support to Moshe who back then was referred by all of us as 'Baby Moshe.

Those brutal terrorists from Pakistan had launched an attack on the Nariman or Chabad House and killed Baby Moshe's parents Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg.

As the two year old boy sat on his caretakers lap he would weep ask for his imma. He clearly had not realised what had happened and only kept asking for his mother.

There was not a single person in the hall who did not have tears in their eyes. Baby Moshe would go quiet and be engrossed with the red ball in the hand. However the silence would not be for long and he would call out for his mother again.

Covering the 26/11 attack was a tiring and emotionally draining exercise, but watching Baby Moshe was one the toughest things I ever had to do in my life.

The baby cries interrupted the prayer service several times. The Rabbi too had to stop the service the emotion was write large on his face too. The entire hall stood in shock as Baby Moshe's cries filled the room.

Today Moshe is ten and is meeting the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi who is on a three day visit to Israel. When I watch pictures of Moshe today, my mind travels back to that sad and ill-fated day. All I can say is, " our boy has grown up."

OneIndia News