More than 2,000 Israelis have already arrived at the Ukrainian city of Uman for New Year’s prayers at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, and thousands more are expected.
Approximately 10,000 Israelis are expected to gather in the Ukrainian city, despite multiple warnings to stay away due to dangers posed by the Russian war in Ukraine, Israeli officials said.
They have warned that it would be very difficult to provide assistance to citizens in Ukraine in an emergency situation, despite a heightened state of alert by Foreign Ministry personnel and by Israeli embassy staff and Israel Police representatives in Kyiv.
In recent days, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mykhailo Podolyak, said he was concerned that Moscow might fire missiles at Uman during Rosh Hashanah, which begins on Sunday evening, in order to cause global shockwaves.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Ukrainian government have called on Jewish pilgrims not to go to Uman this year due to the war.
Podolyak said that Ukraine could not physically prevent the pilgrims from arriving, adding that they are responsible for their lives.