Chabad House Opens in Pisac, Peru

A new chapter in shlichus is unfolding high in the Andes Mountains of Peru.

Rabbi Menachem Mendel and Chaya Mushka Tzikvashvili have established Chabad of Pisac, a branch of Chabad of Cusco Under the Shluchim Rabbi Ofer and Yael Kripor, which has served Jewish travelers and locals in the region for the past 20 years under the umbrella of Chabad-Lubavitch.

Located about 45 minutes from Cusco, the small mountain village of Pisac has become a popular stop for Israeli backpackers traveling through South America after their army service.

Recognizing the growing Jewish presence in the area, the shluchim opened a new Chabad center to serve the many Israeli tourists who pass through, and the response has been remarkable.

Each Friday night, over 120 young Israelis participate in the Shabbos meals in Pisac. What was once a quiet backpacker destination has become a vibrant center of Jewish life, with spirited singing, divrei Torah, and a warm atmosphere that many describe as the highlight of their travels.

On Pesach, the impact was especially visible. More than 350 Jews gathered in Pisac for Leil HaSeder, an extraordinary sight for a small village nestled deep in the Andes. The sounds of the Haggadah echoed through the mountains, transforming this remote corner of the world into a place of powerful Jewish unity.

But alongside the backpackers, another discovery unfolded.

Over time, the shluchim learned that several Jewish individuals had quietly settled in Pisac and its surrounding mountains. Some lived far from the village center literally in the middle of nowhere, accessible only by long walks along dirt paths winding through hills and open fields.

Determined to reach every Jew, Rabbi Mendel would set out on foot to locate these homes. After extended searches through remote mountain terrain, he would finally arrive at a solitary house standing against the vast Andean landscape.

There, a mezuzah was placed.

A small parchment on a simple doorway, yet a powerful declaration that a Jewish home stands here too.

“Sometimes you are literally walking in the middle of nowhere,” Rabbi Mendel reflects. “There are no street signs, no neighbors, just mountains and open sky. And then you knock on a door and discover a Jewish soul inside. In that moment, you see clearly that the Rebbe reaches everywhere, even here, in the middle of nowhere in Pisac Peru.”

From the established activities in Cusco to the expanding light in Pisac, the Rebbe’s vision continues to materialize in the most tangible way. No distance is too great. No mountain too high. No Jew too far.

In the heart of the Andes, Jewish life is not only present it is growing, strengthening, and shining brightly.