Chabad Lubavitch of Nepal
Chabad-Lubavitch in Nepal: the Lifshitz Chabad House in Kathmandu's Thamel district, host of what is billed as the world's largest Passover seder for Israeli backpackers, and a crisis hub after the 2015 earthquake
| Chabad Lubavitch of Nepal
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Chabad-Lubavitch emissary operation |
| Founded | 2000 (Kathmandu) |
| Founder(s) | Chezky Lifshitz; Chani Lifshitz |
| Headquarters | Chabad House of Kathmandu, Thamel, Kathmandu |
| Area served | Nepal (Kathmandu, Pokhara; seasonal seder in Manang) |
| Key people | Chezky Lifshitz; Chani Lifshitz |
| Website | chabadnepal.com |
Chabad-Lubavitch in Nepal is the Chabad-Lubavitch operation run by Rabbi Chezky Lifshitz and Chani Lifshitz, who opened the Chabad House in Kathmandu in 2000. The Times of Israel and JTA describe him as the movement's "first permanent envoy to Nepal".[1] The house serves mainly Israeli backpackers who come to trek in the Himalayas after their army service. Its Passover seder is billed as the world's largest.[2] Lubavitch.com lists two institutions, in Kathmandu (Thamel) and Pokhara.[3]
Emissaries and centres
- Chabad House of Kathmandu, Thamel, directed by Chezky Lifshitz and Chani Lifshitz. JTA described the compound as 8,000 square feet and "a heavily guarded fortress in the city's touristic Thamel district".[2] Website: chabadnepal.com.[3]
- Chabad House of Pokhara, listed under Chezky Lifshitz.[3]
- Seasonal seders. Besides Kathmandu, the Lifshitzes organise smaller seders in Pokhara and in Manang, a trekkers' hub at 11,545 feet. Lubavitch World Headquarters calls the Manang seder the world's highest.[2]
Backpackers and the seder
JTA (2016) wrote that the seder "attracts some 1,500 Israeli and Jewish backpackers each year". It runs as three or four simultaneous seders, two in Hebrew and the rest in English, held either at the Chabad House or at a hotel, often the Radisson, whose kitchen is kashered for the event.[2] Two weeks before Passover, Thamel's guesthouses fill with "many hundreds of Israelis, mostly 20-something backpackers who have recently finished their army service".[2] See also Chabad Lubavitch of Thailand and Chabad Lubavitch of India for the same travellers' circuit.
Relations with the state, business and Israel
- 2015 earthquake. After the earthquake of 25 April 2015, hundreds of Israeli backpackers and other tourists took refuge at the Chabad House. Chabad.org reported that the house worked "closely with the Israeli Foreign Ministry in Nepal": backpackers who had served as IDF medics treated the injured, who were then moved to the Israeli embassy.[4] Chezky Lifshitz borrowed a Nepali helicopter to reach stranded hikers in Dhunche, and 25 Israeli hikers were airlifted out. He relayed hikers' GPS locations from satellite phones to the Nepalese government.[5]
- Aid to Nepalis. Chabad.org reported that the house prepared nearly 2,000 meals in one day for Nepalis in a poor area of Kathmandu, handed out by Israeli tourists staying at the house. It also reported that the Lifshitzes' children were staying at the home of Israel's President at the time.[6] (Chabad-side.)
Funding
No accounts or named donors were found for the Nepal operation.
Controversies
No controversy involving the Nepal house's own conduct was found in the sources consulted. JTA (2016) records the heavy security around the Thamel compound.[2]
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Chezky Lifshitz and Chani Lifshitz open the Chabad House in Kathmandu |
| 25 Apr 2015 | Earthquake; the Chabad House becomes a refuge and rescue hub |
| 2016 | Seder goes ahead despite the slow recovery; about 1,500 guests in a normal year |
See also
- Hummus Trail
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Nepal
- Chabad Lubavitch of India
- Chabad Lubavitch of Thailand
References
- ↑ "In wake of tragedy, a Passover seder in Nepal offers respite", (syndicated from JTA), The Times of Israel, 2016. Press.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "The world's largest seder — in Nepal — will go on, despite slow earthquake recovery", Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 28 March 2016. Press.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lubavitch.com centres directory, Nepal (Kathmandu–Thamel and Pokhara listings), accessed October 2026. Chabad-side.
- ↑ "Chabad Center in Nepal a Crisis Hub After Massive Earthquake", Chabad.org, April 2015. Chabad-side.
- ↑ "Kathmandu Chabad rabbi borrows helicopter in Nepal relief effort", Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 30 April 2015. Press.
- ↑ "Chabad Center Serves 2,000 Meals in a Single Day to Nepalis", Chabad.org, April 2015. Chabad-side.