As of the morning of September 25, more than 23,000 Hasidic pilgrims had already arrived in Uman to celebrate Rosh Hashanah.
This is reported by the United Jewish Community of Ukraine.
They noted that the pilgrimage was organized by the Rabi Nahman Foundation together with the authorities.
Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the new year for all who practice Judaism. Tishrei 1 and 2 are marked, which usually falls on the end of September — the beginning of October. In Ukraine, the holiday is known to the general public mostly thanks to the pilgrimage to the grave of Tzadik Nachman in Uman. In the last year of his life, the founder of the movement of Bratslav Hasidism called all his followers to spend the holiday with him. His disciples, led by Nathan, interpreted this as a call to visit the teacherʼs grave. This opinion is quite popular both among Hasids and among Jewish believers in general. That is why thousands of Jews come to Uman every year.
- The holiday of Rosh Hashanah, which the Hasids celebrate in September, has traditionally gathered tens of thousands of pilgrims from Israel and the whole world in Uman every year. Last year, even the coronavirus did not prevent the celebration — more than 30,000 Hasidim visited Uman.
- On July 7, Ukraineʼs ambassador to Israel, Yevhen Korniychuk, said that against the background of the war, Ukraine cannot guarantee the safety of pilgrims. And the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police recommended that Hasids refrain from visiting Ukraine this year to celebrate Rosh Hashanah. The reason is the high probability of missile attacks and Russiaʼs actions, which can destabilize international relations and damage the image of Ukraine.