Kastel Family Returns to Nepal

By Yossi Sirota

There is one legendary Community Pesach Seder that stands out and had become known to be the largest attended Seder in the world.

Kathmandu, Nepal.

Every Jewish tourist that treks out here knows there is one address stay can’t be missed. Already from weeks before the Chabad house is a hive of activity of people coming to get their prized ticket.

From the early morning hours to late into the night, the dedicated Shluchim Chezky and Chani Lifshitz can be seen ensuring everybody is taken care of spiritually and physically.

Seder night, there are literally thousands of people that come and spend the whole night. The energy is palpable as so far from home so many Jews gather together to celebrate Yeztzias Mitzrayim.

This has become such a popular destination that besides becoming a common reference in Israeli culture it has inspired and motivated so many searching souls to find what is theirs in a place so far away from home.

This year, 30 years since the beginning of the Seder, it’s early beginnings come to light.

Enclosed here you can see a letter from a Michael Goldstein that wrote to the Rebbe in 5748-1988 of searching for neshamos that he has witnessed in Nepal. Describing the great opportunity available he requested that Chabad send an emissary to arrange a seder.

On his letter, the Rebbe wrote “למסור לצאגוח.” That was a directive to refer the request to the Lubavitch Youth Organization (“Tzach”) that they should facilitate the request.

Rabbi Kasriel Kastel at Tzach looked into the possibility and after hitting many stone walls replied to Mr. Goldstein to provide more information to see what can be done practically.

A year later, Mendel Kastel, then a bochur learning in Sydney, took up the challenge to try and facilitate a Seder in Nepal. Along with Mendel Lipskier, they arrived in Nepal expecting a crowd of 60 people.

When 100 registered just on the first day, they knew they had to think bigger. After a week of putting together the impossible and defying all odds, there were 500 attendees.

Presented here is the handwritten report that the bochurim wrote to the Rebbe along with some news reports from the time.

Looking back, Rabbi Mendel Kastel says he can hardly believe what efforts 30 years back by a few bochurim bore fruit today. Closing a circle, Rabbi Kastel and family has joined the local Shluchim along with bochurim sent by Merkos to help out with what has become a powerful force in the lives of so many.

More than closing a circle, 30 years later the Rebbe’s vision and directives has opened countless circles and connections for so many.

There is still much history to be made, available to anybody who takes up the challenge heeding the Rebbe’s call.