45,000 Hasidim are traveling to Uman - and it could cost them dearly

Despite the war in Ukraine, security threats, and the complex reality in Israel, preparations for the travel of tens of thousands of Breslov Hasidim to Uman for Rosh Hashanah continue. According to estimates, about 45,000 worshipers are expected to arrive in the city this year, in what is expected to be one of the largest concentrations of Israelis abroad during the holiday period.

Intensive coordination is currently taking place between Israeli officials and authorities in Ukraine, with the aim of enabling the arrival of the masses while minimizing risks. Government agencies — the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Transport, and the Ministry of Interior — are involved in the preparations, alongside security agencies and the National Security Council. Significant security is also expected on the ground: authorities in Ukraine are preparing to receive tens of thousands of Israelis, during which reinforced police forces will operate alongside control and monitoring measures, including aerial activity.

Travelers will arrive in Romania this year, and from there will continue towards Uman — a complex logistical operation requiring coordination between many parties, from border crossings to transporting thousands of people along long roads in a region in the midst of war. Following the demands of local authorities in Ukraine, the state is expected to participate in funding the security system, at a cost estimated at about 700,000 shekels, which will come from several government ministries. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also preparing to set up a dedicated situation room in Jerusalem, which will operate around the clock during the travel period.

Warnings from Ukraine

Alongside the Israeli preparations, authorities in Ukraine have issued sharp warnings and called on Israelis to reconsider their arrival. The main concern is Russian attacks, as Uman itself lacks protective infrastructure that can provide a full response for such a large number of people. Alongside the shortage of shelters, there are also concerns regarding the local medical capacity to deal with a mass-casualty event. The fact that Ukraine is under martial law adds further restrictions — curfews, movement restrictions, and increased enforcement — that do not exist in a normal trip. Despite this, estimates are that tens of thousands of Hasidim still intend to arrive.

Alongside the security concern, Haredi deserters seeking to leave Israel may encounter a separate problem: their status with the recruitment authorities. Rabbi Gervitz, who is involved in the preparations for the Breslov Hasidim's trip, explains that there are cases where young people aged 18-26, defined as deserters, face a travel ban. He calls on young people not to wait for the last moment and to settle their status in advance: "There is nothing more dangerous than arriving at the airport assuming everything will work out, and then discovering at border control that there is a travel ban."

The reality causes frustration among the Hasidim, especially against the backdrop that the issue of the recruitment law is still not finally settled. The argument is that in the interim period, a mechanism could have been created to allow young people to go for the holiday while committing to return to Israel — for example, by depositing a guarantee. In practice, such a mechanism does not exist comprehensively, and the deserter youths cannot go abroad.

"Not giving up easily"

For many Breslov Hasidim, this difficulty is not necessarily a reason to give up on the trip. Arriving in Uman for Rosh Hashanah is perceived as a spiritual value of the highest order, and accordingly, the possibility of delay, arrest, or sitting in a military prison is not perceived as an absolute barrier.

Rabbi Gervitz presents the gap between practical reality and faith: on one hand, he asks young people to settle their status in advance and avoid arrest at the airport; on the other hand, he understands the intensity of the feeling among Breslov Hasidim, that Rosh Hashanah in Uman is an event that one does not give up on easily. For some of the Hasidim, even a personal price that includes sitting for several days in a military prison does not compare to the importance of staying at the grave of Rabbi Nachman — and the deserters are trying to get to Uman by any means: evading border crossings, sea attempts, and even sitting for a few days in a military prison.