Spending Pesach in Mumbai

By Esti

Busy roads, choking air and thousands of people wandering the streets, tired after a tedious day at work.

Homeless young children are scattered on the streets, begging along with their mothers.

The sun goes down, and evening brings with it the beginning of Passover – the holiday of freedom.

I’m entering the Hotel Trident, a luxury hotel located in the heart of Mumbai, in the midst of the prevailing stench outside.

This is the first year we have arranged for a strictly kosher Seder at the prestigious location, and more than 150 people have made reservations to join us.

I’m trying to get over the intense heat from outside… Inside, everything looks completely different! Beauty and elegance surround me.

I breathe the fresh air and walk off toward the hall where the Seder will take place, alongside my neice Mussi, age 3. We enter the room and she wishes all Gut Yomtov, leaving me and wanting to enjoy and explore this beautiful new place.

Gradually they came. People of different color, dress, and language.

There was the man who had called today and said that he suddenly remembered that tonight is the eve of Passover, there were tourists, students, businessmen, families and children.

My older sister suddenly emerged from the side, and I looked at her, she looked so beautiful, smiling and greeting everyone with absolute calm and full of love, as if she hadn’t been here for three days working, preparing, directing, and dealing with all the stress and challenges.

She lit the candles along with her daughter, and all the women stood in front of the candles and made the blessing out loud together… and I see some of the women watching her with great admiration … and I am one of them…

After that the Seder began.

I came here with my family, my mother and father, my brother and sister. We came to celebrate the Holiday and see, experience and feel, how my older sister and her husband, Laky and Chanoch Gechtman, Shluchim to Mumbai, India, and their daughter, spend the holiday.

Everybody sat. When it became quiet, Chanoch and Laky began explaining the Seder, full partners in directing the Seder. Around us sat crowds of people, all excited and doing everything together as if they were used to it.

Everything was so beautiful and orderly.

And we sat, my family, and watched the beautiful singing of “Dai Dayenu,” which united all the participants, singing the song with emotion.

We watched the child from Belgium, touring India with his family, who sang “Echod Mi Yodeah” to the applause of the proud women at the table.

We sat watching you, and we did nothing more than that … We were so moved… And yes, we found ourselves crying together.

After dessert, we all danced while singing “Next Year in Jerusalem”…

It was so beautiful … It occured to me that only a Rebbe like ours can worry about and take care of all these Jews who were sitting there together like brothers.

Only our Rebbe could give a young couple, lacking in knowledge and experience, such enormous strength to accomplish something so big.

Only with our Rebbe, could a place so dark as this, where such a tragedy had occured and we lost the two tzadikim – Rabbi Gabi and Rivka Holtzberg, could such a beautiful and moving event occur.

And they stood there, Laky and Chanoch, the young Rabbi and Rebbetzin, with a big smile for everyone, which told each individual there – I am here just for you!

And I wondered where they get so much strength and patience for everyone who is there.

I saw the people were moved, leaving different from when they came.

I recalled the American Jewish soldier stationed in Afghanistan who had sent you an email, saying that Mumbai is the closest place to him where there are Jews, and you helped him.

I thought about the Jewish woman married to a gentile, who asked for Kosher for Passover food for her children, and you provided it the day before the festival, patiently and with a big smile.

I thought of all those people that you hosted a mere few days before the holiday and you treated them truly as your own family.

And I realized … I realized that there is someone, worrying and caring for all these people scattered around the world, and he sends you, his Shluchim, that smile. The belief in the Rebbe gives you the strength – and the smile!

So I was there .. I saw, I experienced and I was moved… all I wish is that I would not have to travel so far to be with my family. I wish that today they will come with us to Israel on clouds and we will march together to the true and complete redemption.

And Laky, Chanoch and sweet little Mussi, I’m sure the Rebbe will raise his hand and look towards you with pride – and give you the same smile back. The same smile that says, “I am here just for you!”

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Rabbi Gechtman thanks the Merkos Shlichus program, run by Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, for the help and assistance around the year and especially Pesach. Also thanks to bochurim Avraham Zelig Gechtman and Moishy Raskin for their assistance.