Uman is still preparing for Rosh Hashanah, expecting tens of thousands of Hasidim

On September 3, 2025, Baryshnikova refuted rumors that had spread in some media and social networks that the celebration was allegedly officially canceled.

This year, the Jewish New Year will be celebrated by Hasidim from the evening of September 22 until the evening of September 24, thus marking the beginning of the year 5786 according to the Jewish calendar.

She confirmed:

“I want to officially refute the information that has spread in certain media around the world. No official decisions have been made to ban or cancel the pilgrimage.”

According to the PR director, preparations for the arrival of pilgrims continue in Uman.

“About 45,000 people are expected. We are checking shelters, purchasing food. Pilgrims and local residents can come at any time to have coffee or water. We are also preparing books and ritual elements,” she added.

The executive director of the charitable foundation “Historical and Cultural Center of the City of Uman,” Irina Rybnytska, reported that preparations for the celebration of the Jewish New Year have been ongoing for almost a month.

“We are ensuring communication between pilgrims and the Ukrainian side. A web resource has been created with rules and nuances of the pilgrimage, and a hotline has been organized to address various requests,” Rybnytska explained.

The mayor of Uman, Irina Pletneva, also noted that all services are preparing for the arrival of pilgrims:

“We are holding meetings to prepare for the Rosh Hashanah holiday. The State Emergency Service is checking shelters, and the housing and communal services department is ordering additional signs and preparing to clean the area. All services are on standby.”

Every year, tens of thousands of people come to Uman for the Jewish New Year to visit the grave of the Hasidic sage Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, who lived at the turn of the 19th century. In 2023, the celebration of Rosh Hashanah falls on September 22.

Last year, Ukraine called on Hasidim to refrain from pilgrimage, but despite this, many pilgrims crossed the border through Moldova. At that time, the local authorities of Uman agreed to accept pilgrims with certain restrictions.

Earlier this year, The Times of Israel reported on a possible ban by Ukrainian authorities on the annual Hasidic pilgrimage to Uman due to the war and ongoing attacks by Russia. However, Israel soon refuted these rumors about a ban on the Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage.

Read more at – NANews Israel News