More than 1,000 Hasidic pilgrims still stuck at Ukraine-Belarus border

More than one thousand Hasidic Jewish pilgrims including children are massed at the Ukraine-Belarus border after Kyiv denied them entry due to coronavirus restrictions, the two countries say.

Tens of thousands of Hasidic Jews travel every Jewish New Year to the central Ukraine town of Uman to visit the tomb of Rabbi Nahman, the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement.

This year the Jewish New Year is celebrated September 18-20.

The pilgrims set off this year even though both the Ukrainian and Israeli governments last month called on Hasidic Jews not to travel to Uman, a town of 80,000 people.

Kiev has banned foreigners from entering the country until late September due to a spike in coronavirus infections.

A Ukrainian border guard spokesman, Andriy Demchenko, tells AFP “there are around 1,000 people” at the border crossing point.

The Belarus border guard service says 1,064 people had attempted to cross since Monday, including 242 children.

It says it is providing food and warm tents, while pilgrims have complained of being left cold and hungry in the open air.

— AFP