Thousands gathered under heavy rain Monday evening to lay Rabbi Zvi Kogan to rest, following his murder in the United Arab Emirates last week after being abducted from Dubai. The funeral procession began at the 770 House in Kfar Chabad, with the burial scheduled for Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives.
Rabbi Kogan, 25, came from a large ultra-Orthodox family unaffiliated with Chabad. After completing his yeshiva studies, he followed his brother Reuven—an influential figure in Dubai—and joined the Chabad movement, eventually moving to the UAE.
Thousands gather under heavy rain for Rabbi Zvi Kogan's funeral procession
(Video: Shilo Freid, Yaron Brener)
Kogan served as an aide to Rabbi Levi Duchman, the UAE’s chief rabbi, and managed the kosher grocery store Rimon Market in Dubai, where he was last seen on Thursday. He married six months ago, to Rivky Holtzberg, the niece of Chabad emissaries Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, who were murdered in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, announced Monday that he and his wife Ivanka donated $1 million to Chabad UAE in memory of Rabbi Kogan. "Ivanka and I are saddened by the loss of Rabbi Kogan, who was senselessly murdered to stop the historic bridges he was building between Jews and Muslims in the UAE," Kushner wrote on X.
The couple emphasized that "In the UAE, people of all faiths and backgrounds thrive together in an environment of mutual understanding and respect," and criticized the "constant scapegoating of Israel and the Jewish people," calling it a distraction by "inept leaders who use hatred to deflect from their own shortcomings."
Kogan's body was handed over to ZAKA volunteers earlier Monday and flown to Israel for burial. His family, including his grieving wife Rivky, arrived in Israel ahead of the funeral. "We’re in shock, shattered, horrified," said Aaron Shpielman, Rivky’s brother. "We want good things to come. We want the Messiah. My sister is in a state beyond words."
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Authorities in the UAE announced that the suspects had fled to a third country, reportedly Turkey, after the murder. In a Gulf-state-led operation, they were captured and extradited to Abu Dhabi. Images released Monday showed three Uzbek suspects, identified as Olimpi Toirovich, 28, Makhmudjon Abdurakhim, 28, and Azizbek Kamlovich, 33, handcuffed, blindfolded, and wearing blue prison garb.
Reports suggest the suspects had tracked Kogan’s movements before abducting him in Dubai and driving him to Al Ain, 90 minutes away. Evidence of violence and blood was found in his vehicle, which the suspects used before murdering him and discarding his body, discovered Sunday.
UAE authorities are expected to seek the death penalty for the suspects. While no motive has been officially stated, Israeli officials have labeled the murder an antisemitic terror attack. However, the UAE’s official announcements have referred to Kogan only by his Moldovan citizenship, avoiding mention of his Israeli nationality.
Israeli sources believe the attack was not directed by Iran but possibly by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hamas or another terrorist group. Iran has denied any involvement.