The Virtual Jewish History Tour

Nepal

By Ariel Scheib

The “Seder on Top of the World” is one of the largest known Passover Seders in the world, held annually in Kathmandu, Nepal. This tradition began in the mid 1990s amongst Jewish travelers. Lubavitch rabbis are dispatched every year to the Chabad house in Nepal to prepare for the arrival of thousands of Jewish backpackers. They bring with them hundreds of pounds of kosher matzah, food and Haggadahs (Seder prayer book) to provide for an army of Jews. Jews arrive from all over the world; including Israel, America, Australia, and Europe to trek up the Himalayas for Passover. Many of the Jews that come for the Passover Seder are not Orthodox, but are in search of a unique religious experience. The Seder is held in an enormous army tent pitched in front of the Israeli embassy. In 2006, nearly 1,500 Israelis celebrated Passover in Kathmandu, ignoring travel warnings concerning political turbulence in the region.

Chabad House of Kathmandu
P.O. Box 1844 Thamel
Kathmandu, Nepal
Phone: 977-1-470-0492
Mrs. Chani Lifshitz
Rabbi Yechezkel Lifshitz

Sources: “Largest Seder in the World”

“Nepal: 1,500 Israelis take part in Seder”

Map: CIA