Chabad Kathmandu Kicked Out of Chabad House: "Tightening Noose"

The Chabad House in Kathmandu is being forced to leave its longtime home after mounting pressure and restrictions tied to its Jewish identity, according to its operators.

Chani Lifshitz, who runs the Chabad House together with her husband, Rabbi Chizki Lifshitz, said the couple was ordered to vacate the property after months of what she described as escalating harassment by the landlord. The Chabad House has served Jewish travelers and residents in Nepal for roughly two decades and is considered one of the best-known Chabad centers in Asia, frequented by tens of thousands of Israeli backpackers over the years.

In a social media post, Lifshitz wrote that the past months had felt like “a tightening noose.” She said the landlord demanded the removal of all Hebrew signage so that no visible Jewish presence would remain, citing fears that Iranians might suspect him of cooperating with Israel. At the same time, she said, rent demands rose repeatedly until they became impossible to meet.

“Slowly it became clear that we were being led to one place,” Lifshitz wrote. “They don’t want this place to be a home for Jews. Our presence here was seen as unnecessary and disturbing.” She said the underlying motivation was unmistakable antisemitism that could no longer be ignored.

The final instruction, she said, was blunt: leave immediately. With little notice, the family packed the contents of the Chabad House into storage in a nearby neighborhood and began searching urgently for a new location. Shabbat meals over the weekend were held in a hotel instead of the familiar communal space.

Rabbi Chizki Lifshitz told Israeli media that while the move was painful, the couple was determined to remain in Kathmandu and continue their work. “Everything will turn out for the good,” he said, expressing hope that the next location would allow the Chabad House to expand and grow.

The Kathmandu Chabad House gained broader recognition in Israel after inspiring the television series “Kathmandu,” and for many Israelis traveling through Nepal it has been a central anchor for Shabbat meals, holidays, and support far from home.

The Lifshitzes say they are actively looking for a new permanent home and have no intention of abandoning their mission, even as the episode highlights growing concerns over antisemitism and pressure on Jewish institutions in places where they have long operated openly.