- An annual pilgrimage by Hasidic Jews to Uman, a city in central Ukraine, is made during Rosh Hashanah.
- According to The New York Times, this year thousands of people are travelling to Uman, despite warnings not,
- They will pray at the graveside of Nachman of Breslov (a revered 19th-century rabbi).
According to the Guardian, thousands of Hasidic Jews are traveling to war-torn Ukraine each year to make a pilgrimage. The New York Times.
According to the paper, the pilgrims are travelling from Israel, the US and other countries to Uman in central Ukraine, which is home of the burial spot of the founder of Breslov Hasidic Movement, according to the paper.
Ultra-orthodox Jews have visited Uman every year since 1811 during Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year 5683), which begins at sundown on Sunday to pray at Nachman the Breslov’s grave.
In normal years, thousands travel. The number of pilgrims expected to make this trip is lower this year. However, approximately 4,000 Israeli pilgrims have arrived so far, according to an Israeli spokesperson. According to The Times, this number could rise to 5,000 or higher, according to the spokesperson.
An earlier warning was issued by the Embassy of Ukraine to Israel to those planning to make the pilgrimage. The Embassy of Ukraine in Israel advised that pilgrimage should be avoided. Facebook warnsSeptember 11, 2011. “Continuous Russian attack poses real danger to our lives!”
In another warning, The embassy of Ukraine in Israel requested that potential pilgrims “pray for peace to return to Ukraine” rather than going to Uman to celebrate the Jewish new year.
The US advised that you should not travel to Ukraine for any purpose. Uman specifically advised US citizens not to travel therefor the Jewish new Year.
Oleksandr Tkachenko was the culture minister of Ukraine. Jewish Telegraph Agency that it’s “clearly not the best time” to visit. According to the news agency, he stated that “a better time will be after our victory.”
However, Israeli journalists interviewed those who were already there and said they couldn’t feel the effects of war.
Koller, a Jewish tourist to Uman, stated to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that he had seen Russian missiles. Everything is fine. We have our curfew in the evening from 11 to 5 and that’s it.
The Times reported that central Ukraine is not as dangerous as the cities of the east at the moment. But, officials from Israel and Ukraine have warned of the dangers. Missile attacksThe Times stated that the area has seen a significant increase in activity over recent weeks.
