The Chabad House of Kathmandu is being forced to relocate after its landlord evicted them due to his fears of antisemitism and being associated with Israelis, according to Chabad of Nepal co-director Rabbi Chezky Lifshitz.
Lifshitz told The Jerusalem Post that the landlord was not antisemitic, but was afraid of the attacks of antisemites due to being associated with Israelis.
At first, the landlord reportedly asked that the Chabad remove all Hebrew signs or indications that Israelis were present. Chabad of Nepal co-director Chani Lifshitz wrote on Facebook that he was afraid that the Islamic regime of Iran would suspect him of being a spy if there was a Jewish presence at his property.
The Rebbetzin said that in the last few months, the Chabad house felt that a noose was tightening around them with frequent demands, including ever-increasing rent to the point that it wasn't feasible to meet them. Lifshitz said on Facebook that it became clear that the landlord didn't want the place to be a home for Jews.
The Chabad emissaries moved out and are looking for a new home, but the Rebbetzin wrote that it was difficult to leave the house where they had built their life's work, hosting Shabbat dinners and holiday events for travelling Jews and Israelis.
The rabbi told the Post that there is no fixed Jewish community in Nepal, and they will need the support of the global Jewish community to build a new home.
Nepal Chabad landlord evicts center over ‘Israeli’ fears
In April, a Norwegian man was suspected of breaking into and vandalizing the Chabad House of Kathmandu on the seventh day of Passover, smashing windows and damaging furniture. The damage was estimated at a few thousand dollars.
Lifshitz said at the time that in the 25 years he had been in Nepal, it was the first time the Chabad house had been attacked.
The now-closed Chabad house had increased in popularity in 2025 when compared to the previous year, with the rabbi surmising that Israelis were making up for lost opportunities to travel during the Israel-Hamas War.