By Goldie Simpson
Rivka was a young mother. Like you and me she cared for her young children. Like you and me she sought a productive and meaningful life. Unlike you and me she chose to live in India, far from family and friends, far from anything modern and fashionable and Jewish. Why? So that she might help another Jew. But then she was murdered - she her husband and her family save but one small boy. It was deliberate murder targeting all that she and her husband stood for. I cannot comprehend how such a thing could happen. What I do know is that the world-wide response to this tragedy has been a resolve to do more goodness and kindness, and to reach out to others with genuine love and care. In fact, the seeds of our Mikvah were sown in response to this tragedy with a determination to add holiness and sanctity to our community through the building of a Mikvah. Every time I stand at the entrance of our Mikvah, I pause to read its inscription “In memory of Gavriel and Rivka Hotzberg - Mumbai”. I am reminded that even in the face of pain and challenges, I need to pick myself up and do something positive – no matter how small - to add to this world just a little more light…