Kathmandu Landlord Evicts Long-Running Chabad House

Rabbi Chezki and Chani Lifshitz, shluchim of the Rebbe and directors of the Chabad House in Kathmandu, are facing a sudden and painful upheaval after being forced to vacate the home that served for years as the center of Jewish life for travelers in Nepal.

According to the shluchim, the landlord of the property they rented for many years demanded that they leave the home quickly, following a prolonged period of escalating pressure that included repeated demands, restrictions, and financial increases. From this location, the Lifshitz family welcomed and assisted thousands of Jewish visitors from around the world, hosting Shabbosim, Yomim Tovim, and providing spiritual and practical support.

In a heartfelt post shared on her personal Facebook account, Chani Lifshitz described the emotional toll of the sudden eviction, writing that the past days have been extremely difficult, calling it a crisis. Despite the hardship, she emphasized that they are not leaving their shlichus.

After years in which the house functioned as the heart of their mission—a place filled with Shabbos meals, holidays, tears, hugs, and late-night conversations—the family now finds itself packing their lives into boxes and searching for a new location. She noted the deep personal and communal investment made in the home, calling the experience of starting over “a powerful lesson in humility.”

Lifshitz explained that in recent months the situation steadily deteriorated. She described a growing series of demands from the landlord, beginning with instructions to remove Hebrew signage so that the Jewish presence would not be visible. According to her account, the landlord expressed concern about being suspected by Iranian authorities, while financial demands continued to rise until they became impossible to meet.

Over time, she wrote, it became clear that the underlying message was that the property was no longer welcome as a Jewish home and that their presence was viewed as unwanted and disruptive. She said the experience carried a clear feeling of antisemitism that could no longer be ignored.

The situation culminated in an order to vacate immediately. With little time to prepare, the shluchim packed their belongings into a storage facility they secured quickly in the Balaju neighborhood and began searching urgently for a new home and Chabad House location.

Standing before empty walls, Lifshitz reflected on the pain of leaving a place that was entirely “soul.” While Rabbi Lifshitz expressed his firm belief that everything is for the good, she concluded that the moment is accompanied by tears and deep emotion, even as their commitment to shlichus remains unwavering.