Ukraine issues 2nd urgent plea for Jewish pilgrims to forgo annual Uman pilgrimage due to war

Ukraine puts out the second statement in as many days warning Jewish pilgrims not to come to Uman for Rosh Hashanah this year.

“Russia’s ongoing full-scale military aggression against Ukraine poses real threats to people’s lives and safety,” says the Foreign Ministry, “[and] makes it impossible to guarantee the safety of foreign citizens on the territory of Ukraine.”

Kyiv warns that there is a “regime of martial law which provides for a number of additional regulations, including restrictions on freedom of movement, a curfew and enhanced patrols, a ban on holding mass events and gatherings, as well as the application of coercive measures against persons who will not comply with the established restrictions.”

It also stresses that there are not enough bomb shelters in Uman, that transportation infrastructure has suffered shelling, and that there are not enough medical personnel.

An Israeli diplomat told The Times of Israel that the number of worshipers this year could reach a record 50,000, but with Moldova refusing to approve charter flights to its main airport, far fewer might end up making the journey.

Uman, where the Hasidic master Rabbi Nachman of Breslov is buried, is a major pilgrimage site for Hasidim and other Jews.