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Funeral of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, 28, Takes Place During Torrential Downpour at Kfar Chabad in Israel
Chabad emissary murdered in UAE, laid to rest in Israel
By: Menachem Posner
The spotlights were shining bright in the black night in Kfar Chabad, Israel, and the towering replica of Chabad-Lubavitch Headquarters formed a fitting backdrop for the funeral of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, who was murdered by terrorists last week in the United Arab Emirates.
Chillingly, many of the faces in the crowd were familiar, as Rabbi Kogan was the nephew of Rabbi Gabi and Rivky Holtzberg, Chabad emissaries murdered by terrorists in Mumbai 16 years ago, in November 2008.
While thousands, including elected officials and chief rabbis from both Israel and Islamic lands, filled the rows of folding chairs set up in Kfar Chabad, countless others were in the standing-room-only areas and even more joined via live stream on Chabad.org.
In case online viewers needed to be reminded of the times in which the funeral is taking place, the program was preceded with pre-recorded instructions on what to do in case of missile attacks.
Following tradition, the deceased was draped with several tallits, presumably one of which Rabbi Kogan had received as a gift from his wife, Rivky, whom he married in 2022.
The program was opened by Rabbi Shimon Rabinovitch, mayor of Kfar Chabad, who sighed as he expressed his prayerful wish that this be the final “sacrifice” of the Jewish people.
“Dear Zvi,” cried Rabbi Shneur Ashkenazi of Chabad Rishon Leziyon, “let us wake up and tell us this is a bad dream. You never hurt a fly. You only helped, aided and brought joy. You fell like a soldier at his post. When they wanted to hurt the Jewish people, they knew whom to attack. They attacked our soul, which you exemplified with your generosity.”
As he spoke, rain began to fall, as if the heavens themselves were weeping for the great loss suffered on earth.
The downpour intensified as Rabbi Kogan’s relatives and colleagues from Chabad of the Emirates were called up one by one to lead the crowd in the reading of Psalms.
As they soldiered on through the familiar words, some gasped and stifled sobs. One finished his reading of the time-hallowed prayer with a simple “Bye by, Zvi.”
Following the Psalms, the crowd broke out into a soulful rendition of Tzama Lecha Nafshi, a song taught by the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—expressing the soul’s desire to experience the Divine.
‘We Are Here to Transform the World’
Evoking the history of the village in which the funeral was being held, Rabbi Joseph Aharonov, director of Agudat Chasidei Chabad of the Holy Land, the umbrella organization of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Israel, read a telegram sent by the Rebbe to village leaders following the murder of five students and a counselor at the hands of Arab fedayeen, terrorists armed and trained mostly by the Egyptian government, in 1956.
The village leaders were demoralized by the horrific attack, and the Rebbe’s letter encouraged them to find comfort in building even more institutions, growing, progressing, and becoming even stronger.
“This is what the Rebbe taught us,” concluded Aharonov. “Not to be demoralized by setbacks and tragedy, but to be inspired to become stronger and do more.”
He was followed by Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel Kalman Meir Ber, who stressed that Rabbi Kogan was not a private individual but a “community,” a person who was devoted to others, helping and bringing comfort, discreetly and expecting nothing in return as if he himself did not exist.
He was followed by Rabbi Levi Duchman, director of Chabad of the UAE and the country’s chief rabbi, under whose leadership Jewish life and infrastructure in the Gulf state has blossomed, and for whom Kogan worked.
“Silence may be our first response, but action must be our answer,” said Duchman, who reported that Kogan’s legacy was being perpetuated by the many mitzvahs done in his memory, including a campaign to increase in kosher observance in his memory, and noting that three Jewish babies had already been named after him.
“Our job has never been clearer,” Duchman thundered in English. “To remind every Jew who they are and why they are here. The world needs to hear our voices. Do more, stand prouder, fight harder, reach further. This isn’t about him; it’s about us and our people. We are not just here to survive. We are here to transform the world.”
He promised that Kogan’s widow, Rivky, would be cared for with dignity and respect, before announcing that a new Chabad center would be built in the UAE in Kogan’s memory and named “Beit Zvi,” which means both “house of Zvi” and “house of splendor.”
At the end of his remarks, he shared a brief message in Arabic addressed directly to the residents and leadership of the UAE.
‘Zvi Loved Everyone’
In his remarks, Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel David Yosef praised the self-sacrifice of the Chabad emissaries, who gladly move to the most distant places to spread the light of Judaism, not just for the Jewish people but for all of humanity.
“The entire world is shaken by your murder,” he said. “You were killed just because you are Jewish. You have merited to sanctify G‑d’s name in the eyes of the world and in the eyes of the Jewish people.
“Do not be discouraged. Continue your crucial mission for the Jewish people. Do not stop! Rabbi Zvi, you were an agent of the Rebbe. You are still an agent. Now you are an agent of every one of us to plead before G‑d for the arrival of Moshiach!”
Kogan’s father, Rabbi Alexander Kogan, an immigrant from the former USSR, sobbed as he eulogized his son in Russian-accented Hebrew. “Zvi loved everyone. He was one of the youngest, he loved his parents and his siblings. You never needed to tell him what to do. You would hint to him, and he would run. He did everything.
“His pleasure was to do for others. He loved everyone. He and Rivky would send us pictures of the giant Shabbat meals they hosted. That was their mission. It was in their souls and their joy.
“When a part of your body is cut off, it hurts. We had part of our souls cut off. It’s painful. We are small people and do not understand G‑d’s ways. We must fill in that which is missing. We must do like Zvi. Look for what others need. Maybe this is what G‑d wants from us now.”
The final speaker was Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, director of Merkos Suite 302, who spoke about how Zvi’s jovial presence would be sorely missed when 5,000 of his peers will gather at the International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries (Kinus Hashluchim), which is set to begin on Wednesday in New York.
Following the mourner’s Kaddish, recited by Kogan’s father, the funeral procession set out to Jerusalem for burial on Mount of Olives. (Chabad.org)
