'Rabbi's family, Chabad clash over Mumbai house'

When the Chabad movement took too long to renovate destroyed Nariman house, rabbi's parents simply started the work themselves.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
mumbai chabad house chopper 298 ap (photo credit: )
mumbai chabad house chopper 298 ap
(photo credit: )
Just short of two years after the Mumbai terror attack that left over 100 dead, including the family of the resident rabbi at the city's Chabad House, a dispute is emerging over who should be responsible for renovations at Nariman House, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
When the Chabad-Lubavich movement took too long to get the Chabad house up and running again, Rabbi Holzberg's parents, Nachman and Freida Holzberg took it upon themselves to renovate Nariman House themselves, according to the report.
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With the help of local supporters, the couple have been doing work on the building. Nachman Holzberg told The New York Times, "I want it to come back and have it be better and bigger."
However, Brooklyn-based Chabad, claims that the renovations being done by the Holtzberg family is not being done with the proper permits. Chabad has obtained an injunction to stop the family's work and the Bombay High Court was expected to rule on the matter, the Times reported.
The Holzbergs claim that the Nariman House belongs to a trust created by their son and that as the guardians of their grandchild, the late Rabbi Holtzberg's heir, that they should be responsible for the work. According to the report, the Holzbergs have criticized Chabad for mismanagement of funds donated for the center's rebuilding.
Chabad called those allegations "outrageous and absolutely false," The New York Times reported, adding that they are only seeking the court's intervention because the family's building work poses a safety threat.
However, it is not just who will rebuild the Mumbai Chabad House that is disputed. The family wants the building to return to its previous use as the center of Chabad activities in the city, whereas Chabad wants it to serve as a memorial, providing a space for special functions. The Bombay High Court will hear the case on Thursday, according to the report.