"Appreciating Zelensky and fearing for safety": Breslov leaders prepare for Uman

Tens of thousands of Hasidim are expected to visit the grave of Rabbi Nachman in Ukraine again this year. The movement's leaders gathered to send a letter of thanks and blessing for the new year to the president and the people of Ukraine for their assistance to the worshippers. A source in the Breslov Union spoke of great appreciation for the government in Kyiv:

"A country that is in a difficult war is opening its gates to tens of thousands of Jews who come to pray."

Ahead of the annual pilgrimage to Uman for the days of Rosh Hashanah, the Breslov movement is completing its logistical and diplomatic preparations. In recent days, a meeting was held in Jerusalem at the home of the elder of Breslov rabbis, Rabbi Yaakov Meir Shechter. Sitting around the table were senior leaders, including Rabbi Shmuel Moshe Kramer and Rabbi Yaakov Shiloh, who serves as the rabbi of Uman, with the goal of expressing official thanks to the authorities in Kyiv for hosting the masses in the shadow of the war with Russia.

During the meeting, elaborate certificates of appreciation, drafted specifically for the top Ukrainian leadership, were presented. The highlight was a personal letter of blessing addressed to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and the Ukrainian people, designed in a royal style and bound in a luxurious leather cover. Additional certificates were prepared for Ihor Taburets, the governor of the Cherkasy region, and for the heads of the local security and law enforcement systems, who secure the grave complex every year under a heavy security threat.

Between gratitude and concerns about security

Alongside the diplomatic optimism and the desire to preserve freedom of access to the holy site, deep tensions and concerns are evident among the movement's activists regarding the security and logistical challenges that lie ahead. While the Ukrainian authorities are demonstrating relative openness, the movement expresses great concern about the complex geopolitical situation and the incessant threats of attack from Russia.

Furthermore, officials in the movement are dealing with challenges vis-a-vis state authorities and transit countries, with concerns often hovering in the background regarding restrictive measures by various security agencies, as well as the question of the diplomatic and consular umbrella that Israel provides — or does not provide — to the masses traveling to an active war zone.

"We are in an extremely sensitive situation," shared one of the participants in the meeting. "On one hand, the Ukrainians are doing above and beyond to allow Jews to arrive and pray even though the country is burning. And on the other hand, the heart breaks from the fear for the safety of the masses, alongside the bureaucratic and logistical difficulties that change every morning. We are praying for a quiet, safe year, and that we will merit to pass the days of Rosh Hashanah in peace."