30,000 Hasidic Pilgrims Visit Ukraine’s Uman for Rosh Hashanah Celebration

Nearly 30,000 Hasidic pilgrims have arrived in the small Ukrainian city of Uman for the traditional Rosh Hashanah celebrations, reported the United Jewish Community of Ukraine on October 2.

The organization also noted that more than 14,000 pilgrims were unable to travel to Ukraine due to widespread Iranian missile strikes on Israel, which resulted in the closure of airspace and the cancellation of flights.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a two-day celebration marking the beginning of the civil year in Judaism. It typically takes place in late summer or early autumn, aligning with the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. The holiday commemorates the creation of Adam and Eve, the first humans according to the Hebrew Bible, and the start of humanity’s role in God’s world.

Each year, Hasidic pilgrims travel to Uman, a major pilgrimage site as it is home to the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav, the founder of Bratslav Hasidism.

Ukraine recognized Rosh Hashanah as a national holiday in 2020, making it the only country besides Israel to do so.