By COLlive reporter
Rabbi Chezki and Chani Lifshitz, Directors of the Chabad House in Kathmandu, Nepal, issued a clarification on Tuesday in response to what they described as inaccurate reports surrounding their eviction from the longtime Chabad House location.
In a public statement, Mrs. Lifshitz addressed claims that had circulated about tensions with the landlord and alleged financial disputes.
“The landlord himself provided us with a clear written statement: The rent on our part was paid in full!!” she stated.
“All the rumors that have been circulating are simply unfair and untrue,” she added. “They did not happen and never existed.”
Mrs. Lifshitz emphasized that in recent days, they and the landlord held direct conversations and reached understandings “in the most respectful, clean, and dignified way possible.”
She also shared a photograph taken that same day of her husband standing together with the landlord, describing it as reflecting “a relationship based on mutual respect.”
Addressing speculation that the situation stemmed from antisemitism, Mrs. Lifshitz was explicit: “It is important for me to clarify one more point: The landlord himself is not antisemitic.”
She explained that requests made regarding Hebrew signage and related matters were driven by the landlord’s personal safety concerns amid current global tensions, writing that these concerns were “genuine and real,” and not motivated by hostility.
“I will not elaborate further,” she continued. “Not because I have nothing more to say, but because sometimes responsibility also means knowing when not to elaborate.”
The clarification follows days of public discussion about Chabad vacating the property that for years served as a central hub for Jewish travelers in Kathmandu.
While acknowledging the emotional weight of the transition, she made clear that they are not stepping back from their shlichus and are focused on continuing their work while seeking a new and permanent location.
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