Jerusalem, 26 July, 2022 (TPS) — Israel’s Foreign Ministry published a new travel warning for Ukraine, ahead of attempts by Hassidic Jews to visit the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslav in the city of Uman during the high holidays, celebrated this year at the end of September.
The warning stated that “due to the war and the fighting between Russian forces and Ukrainian forces, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges Israeli citizens to avoid coming to the territories of Ukraine, including the city of Uman and its surroundings.”
“Israeli citizens who are in Ukraine are called to leave the country’s borders immediately. The explosive security situation, including the danger of bombing from the air or firing rockets at civilian towns and areas, including in the center and west of the country, is a real and immediate danger to life,” the Ministry warned.
The announcement noted that the government of Ukraine declared a state of emergency at the end of February which “results in the restriction of freedom of movement and the imposition of a curfew on various areas, as well as respecting the security and policing measures taken in the various areas (including inspections, arrests, and deportation).”
“The Israeli embassy does not have a continuous presence in the territories of Ukraine these days, so consular service cannot be provided,” it added.
Uman is usually the focal point of the pilgrimage of tens of thousands of Jews who pray at the tomb during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. After Russia invaded Ukraine, the remaining Jews in the town were evacuated. The town has been the target of Russian attacks.
Ukraine’s embassy in Israel announced in July that it was canceling the annual pilgrimage to Uman “due to concerns for the lives and well-being of the visitors to Ukraine and in light of the blatant Russian war in our country, despite all efforts, we cannot guarantee the security of pilgrims and do not currently allow tourists and visitors to enter Ukraine.”
