As Rosh Hashanah Approaches, 30 Jews Among the Missing in Nepal Disaster

by Motti Wilhelm – chabad.org

At this time of year, Rabbi Chezky and Chani Lifshitz, co-directors of Chabad of Nepal, are usually preparing to welcome hundreds of Israeli backpackers for Rosh Hashanah meals and prayers.

The High Holidays typically fall during one of the Himalayan country’s two trekking seasons, the other coinciding with Passover. Each season brings large numbers of Israeli travelers to the country, with hundreds gathering at the Chabad center in Kathmandu for holiday meals and services.

This year was expected to be no different. Preparations were well underway when, in an instant, everything changed.

On the morning of August 26, a series of deadly flash floods along the Nepal-China border led to calamitous flooding in towns and cities up to 45 miles from where the incident occurred. Devastating footage shows thousands of people disappearing in the water. More than 1,000 people have been killed, while another 4,400 remain unaccounted for.

Among the missing are two Israelis, including a 60-year-old man, and some 30 Jewish visitors and local residents, says Chani Lifshitz.

The Lifshitzs have shifted from preparing holiday meals and services to coordinating search-and-rescue efforts. They are fielding calls from worried relatives around the world searching for missing Jewish travelers.

The precise cause of the disaster remains under investigation, but preliminary findings point to the collapse of a glacier, which triggered an avalanche and dammed a river near the Tibetan border. When the natural barrier gave way, it sent a devastating torrent of mud, boulders and water surging downstream.

The floodwaters swept away entire villages, destroyed dozens of suspension bridges, severed roads connecting Kathmandu with the northern border and badly damaged major regional hydropower projects. The widespread destruction of infrastructure has also severely disrupted communications. Rescue efforts have been severely hampered by the destruction of roads and bridges, leaving many areas accessible only by air.

“We are in contact with the families, local communities and officials on the ground, trying to piece together every detail,” Chani Lifshitz shared with Chabad.org. “We are checking every report, every name, every location and every possible lead.”

The Lifshitzes bring decades of experience assisting Israeli tourists who have become stranded or injured in Nepal, including in the aftermath of previous natural disasters. At times, they have traveled across the country to take part in rescue efforts themselves.

As reports of the disaster emerged, they immediately began gathering information from the field, coordinating with officials and rescue teams, and relaying updates to families and the Israeli media.

As rescue teams struggle to reach communities cut off by the destruction, Chabad of Nepal has dispatched an aid team and begun organizing its own relief operation. Food, medicine and essential equipment are being assembled, along with professional assistance that can be deployed as soon as the affected areas become accessible.

“For several nights this week, my husband and I barely slept,” Chani Lifshitz said. “Chezky was on the phone with people around the world, while one thought would not leave me: how important it is to ensure that every Jew is brought to a proper Jewish burial, and how difficult that has become under these circumstances.”

As the death toll continues to rise, Nepali authorities are burying dozens of victims each day in mass graves.

“In the situation we are facing, even something as basic and sacred as a Jewish burial is no longer simple,” she said. “The bodies being recovered after days beneath the mud are in the worst possible condition, making identification extremely difficult.

“Over the past few days, I have come to understand all over again how thin the line can be between a person with a name, a home and a family, and just another number in the aftermath of a disaster. We continue to do everything we can to ensure that every person has a name and every family receives an answer.

“And we continue to pray for the living, for the missing and for the families still waiting, Jews and non-Jews. We pray that even amid all this darkness, some good news will yet emerge.”

To contribute to Chabad of Nepal’s relief efforts, click here.