Orthodox Jewish pilgrims sing and dance near the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov during celebrations marking Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, in Uman, Ukraine, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Oct. 2, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Thomas Peter

The umbrella organization for Ukraine’s Jewish community announced on Telegram that while 30,000 Jews came to the Ukrainian city of Uman for the yearly Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage, an additional 14,000 were unable to arrive, in part due to rising tensions in the Middle East.

“More than 30,000 pilgrims arrived in Uman” as of Wednesday, wrote the United Jewish Community of Ukraine (UJCU). “More than 14,000 willing Hasidic pilgrims could not reach Uman. Some of them are due to yesterday’s massive shelling of Israel by Iran and the closure of airspace and cancellation of flights.”

Tens of thousands of Hasidic Jews flock to Uman each year for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, to visit the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, the revered founder of the Breslover Hasidim, who died in 1810.

This year was going to be no different, despite the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. An Israeli diplomat had told The Times of Israel that the number of worshipers this year could reach a record 50,000.

Last week, however, the UJCU and Ukrainian news outlets said that attendance would be lower than expected due to escalating tensions between Israel and the Iran-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah in Lebanon, which caused a number of airlines to cancel flights that the Hasidic pilgrims were supposed to use to get to Ukraine.

And then on Tuesday, Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, raising fears of a broader regional conflict and leading some airlines to cancel more flights. The Iranian attack came amid an ongoing war between Israel and several Iran-backed terrorist groups — most notably Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, along with other armed militias in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. The conflict began when Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists invaded southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 hostages, about 100 of whom remain in captivity in Gaza.

“Although the interested parties are looking for a way out of this situation, a significant part of the thousands of pilgrims who want to get to Uman will not be able to do so,” the Historical and Cultural Center of Uman charitable foundation said in a message last week, according to the Ukrainian News Agency.

Since 2020, Ukrainian officials have warned against making the pilgrimage, first due to COVID-19 and then because of the war with Russia. The pilgrimage became more complicated when many commercial flights to Ukraine were suspended following Russia’s invasion of the country in 2022.

Last month, Ukraine warned Hasidic Jews to forgo this year’s pilgrimage to Uman due to the war with Russia.

“Russia’s ongoing full-scale military aggression against Ukraine poses real threats to people’s lives and safety, [making] it impossible to guarantee the safety of foreign citizens on the territory of Ukraine,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Kyiv added that there is a “legal regime of martial law which provides for a number of additional regulations, including restrictions on freedom of movement, a curfew and enhanced patrols, a ban on holding mass events and gatherings, as well as the application of coercive measures against persons who will not comply with the established restrictions.”

Nevertheless, last year, more than 35,000 worshipers celebrated Rosh Hashanah at the grave of Nachman, despite Ukrainian authorities issuing similar warnings as they are now about visiting the city amid war with Russia.

As for this year, photos have already emerged of pilgrims both praying and celebrating the Jewish new year near Nachman’s grave.

Orthodox Jewish pilgrims dance outside the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov during celebrations marking Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, in Uman, Ukraine, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Oct. 2, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Thomas Peter

Located in the south of Ukraine in the Cherkasy region, Uman was once home to a thriving Jewish community. In 1941, however, the Nazis deported the city’s entire Jewish community, murdering 17,000 Jews and destroying the local Jewish cemetery — including Nachman’s grave, which was later recovered and relocated.

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, several Jewish Orthodox families have moved to Uman.