Alarm from Nepal: Great Seder night in danger

Is the existence of the world's largest seder held in Kathmandu - Nepal's capital city - in danger following sanctions taken by State Department employees?

As it became known to Behadrey Haredim, a container of food has been stuck for several weeks in India without allowing it to be released, due to the fact that approval is required from the Israeli Embassy in Nepal, and this is not possible following the sanctions taken by State Department employees to shut down the Israeli representation in Nepal.

As stated, the local Seder is the largest of its kind in the world and about 1,500 travelers participate in it each year. The Seder is held in two different halls, one of which is conducted in Hebrew for the many Israeli travelers staying in the city and the other is conducted in English for Jewish travelers from around the world.

Besides that, the local Chabad emissary makes sure to hold a Seder in a number of additional centers throughout Nepal, including the village of Manang situated at the top of the Himalaya mountains. The only way to get to the place to hold the Seder is by helicopter which brings the emissaries to the distant village considered as a concentration place for travelers making their way in the Anaforna track in between the Himalayas for many weeks. Altogether about 2,500 people take part in the Seder night at various points throughout Nepal.

We turned to the shaliach in Kathmandu Rabbi Lifshitz Hezki to hear from him about the Seder preparations and to determine whether in fact the existence of the event is endangered following the sanctions.

"As our custom every year," Rabbi Lifshitz said, "We brought a container from Ashdod two months ago with all the ingredients we need to observe the Seder night. The container contains tons of matzos, thousands of bottles of wine and other foodstuffs for the Seder. It is registered to the Israeli Embassy in Nepal.

"Since Nepal is a country with no access to the sea, the ship must get to the port of Calcutta, India and from there it arrives by truck in a journey which takes about two weeks to Kathmandu capital of Nepal.

"The container actually came to India three weeks ago, but unfortunately we still have not released it from the port because for doing so we would need the approval from the embassy on whose name the cargo is registered, but due to the strike by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy does not provide the necessary approvals.

"We hoped to find that soon the problem will be solved and we would get the approval, but unfortunately the situation remains as it is and the solution is not in sight. Meanwhile, every day that passes in which the container is stored in the port costs us a great deal of money.

Some fear that the existence of the Seder is endangered by the incident but Liffschitz is determined: "For us this possibility does not exist and is unthinkable. We will do everything so that the world's largest Seder will be held. If things do not work out within 24 hours, we will seriously consider buying all the products again and send it all through the air. Of course these are high costs on the border of imagination, but we will do everything and take every possible way so that this scenario of the cancellation of the Seder will not, G-d forbid, materialize."

"Several years ago, on the way to Kathmandu, the truck carrying the container capsized and rolled down the road. We had to hire three helicopters to rescue the basic products from the capsized container, in order to hold a proper Seder."

"At times we have had delays in transporting the container, but for the first time those delaying it are Jewish. Hopefully the Foreign Ministry employees will come to their senses despite the strike, because it is an improbable situation which would endanger a Seder for thousands of Jews."

The Foreign Ministry's response to the report has not been received. It will be published when it is received.

Help the world's largest Seder:
You can donate by credit card at secure: www.nepal10.org
Or at Postal Bank: Branch: 001 Account: 8297295, Account Name: Friends of Chabad of Nepal.

Chabad House of Nepal for Pesach

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!