Thousands of Jewish pilgrims come to Ukraine for Rosh Hashana despite official warnings
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Orthodox Jews pray near the lake at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman, the great grandson of the founder of Hasidic movement, in the town of Uman, 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Ukraine's capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
UMAN, Ukraine (AP) — Prayer chants and the sounding of traditional ram's horns fill the air in the town of Uman, in central Ukraine, as thousands of pilgrims join an annual gathering to mark the Jewish new year, despite the
war against Russia.
Uman, 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, is transformed for the celebration of Rosh Hashana.
The streets are plastered with signs in Hebrew for the pilgrims who come to pray at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman, the great-grandson of the founder of Hasidic movement.
Despite Ukrainian and Israeli diplomats warning of the security threat, officials told The Associated Press that 35,000 pilgrims made the journey to Uman this year, the same as in earlier years.
Rabbi Moshe Reuven Azman, a leading figure in Ukraine’s Jewish community, was one of those who urged international pilgrims not to visit Ukraine due to security concerns but acknowledged that many would still make the trip regardless of the potential risks involved.
“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.
As the war in Ukraine rages for a third year, Russian army fires barrages of drones and missiles at Ukraine almost daily, leaving no region completely safe. Active combat is taking place along a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front, as Russian forces press their advantage in the
eastern Donetsk region. This year alone, the Russian army has managed to capture several thousand square kilometers (miles) of Ukrainian territory, with the
capture of the city of Vuhledar being their most recent notable achievement.
Orthodox Jews dance at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman, the great grandson of the founder of Hasidic movement, in the town of Uman, 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of Ukraine's capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
