Despite warnings from Ukrainian and Israeli officials about security risks, around 35,000 Jewish pilgrims traveled to Uman in Cherkasy Oblast to celebrate Rosh Hashana this year, according to local authorities.
The pilgrims gathered to pray at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman, a significant figure in the Hasidic movement, even as the country remains embroiled in war with Russia. Rabbi Moshe Reuven Azman, a prominent leader in Ukraine’s Jewish community, had previously advised pilgrims to avoid visiting due to safety concerns, though many proceeded with their annual pilgrimage.
"Every year (since Russia’s full-scale invasion), I speak on Israeli television and radio, and I call on the (Jewish) pilgrims not to come to Ukraine. My primary concern is for the lives of people," he said, according to Associated Press.
More than 14,000 Jewish pilgrims were unable to travel to Uman, Ukraine, for the annual Rosh Hashana pilgrimage this year due to complications arising from Iran’s missile attack on Israel earlier in the week. The attack, which saw nearly 180 missiles fired, led to the cancellation of several flights from Israel.
This year’s pilgrimage also coincided with heightened tensions in the Middle East, including Israel’s conflicts with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and various Iran-backed militant groups. With Ukraine’s airspace closed since Russia’s full-scale invasion, pilgrims had to travel overland through other European countries.
