Chabad, kosher food and the world's largest Seder: Nepal for Jewish travellers

Here is something that surprises first-time visitors: Nepal has one of the most remarkable Jewish travel infrastructures anywhere in Asia. Kathmandu hosts what is regularly called the world's largest Passover Seder, and Chabad houses are woven into the trekking trails. For Jewish travellers — deeply observant or simply seeking community on the road — it shapes how and when to plan a Nepal trip.

A community on the trail

Chabad of Nepal has operated in Kathmandu for three decades, and its Passover Seder — held in the capital with overflow seders in Pokhara, the Manang/Annapurna area and, in recent years, even Everest-region villages — has become legendary. For Rosh Hashanah, the community prepares for well over a thousand travellers. Even for secular Israelis, the Chabad houses serve as a social anchor, a source of a familiar meal, and a quiet safety net far from home.

Eating on the trail

In Kathmandu and Pokhara, kosher-friendly and vegetarian options are easy to find, and the Chabad houses offer meals around the holidays. On the trail itself, the staple dal bhat — lentils, rice and vegetables — is naturally vegetarian, so eating simply and well is straightforward. A good guide will help you time your trek so you can be in a Chabad town for a holiday if you wish.

Source: Chabad.org; The Kathmandu Post.

Cover photo: Jungsik Kwak via Pexels (Pexels License).