Nestled in the soaring mountains between India and China, Nepal has long held an allure for Israeli travelers. It has also had the distinction of being host to both the most well-attended and the highest Passover seders in the world, in Kathmandu and Menang, respectively.
Throughout the years, by dint of sheer faith, Rabbi Chezki and Chani Lifshitz—co-directors of Chabad of Nepal and the plucky organizers of the seders—have overcome some formidable challenges, including coups, border delays, strikes and even crashes. Nevertheless, the Passover seder has gone on year after year.
This year, as the country struggles to recover from the debilitating earthquake and ensuing severe tremors that rocked the nation just one year ago, the suspense remains as strong as ever.
With many roads reduced to unstable rubble, organizers are considering horseback as the best way to transport matzah and kosher wine (hand-produced in Nepal) to the remote mountain village of Menang.
How will they get there? No one is exactly sure, though one thing is certain: The seder will go on!
Below are some reports from the past 20 years that demonstrate the magic and mystery that keep the Nepal seders going strong.
Note the nail-biting challenges in both 2008 and 2014, and the last-minute triumphs that pulled it all together.
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