Residents of Uman, who are representatives of the Jewish community, told Hromadske TV that already about 2-2.5 thousand pilgrims managed to get to the city before the ban took effect.
Source: "Hromadske"
The Jewish community hopes that Israel and Ukraine will be able to agree to allow at least a limited number of Hasidim to enter on the very Jewish New Year (September 18-20).
However, Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, Moshe Reuven Asman does not know whether this is being negotiated.
On August 27, the government announced a ban on entry to Ukraine for foreigners effective from August 28 to September 28 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The ban came up at the beginning of a mass pilgrimage to Uman by Hasidim from all over the world to celebrate the Jewish New Year – Rosh Hashanah.
The holiday falls on September 18-20, but usually, Hasidim begin to gather much earlier. Traditionally, Rosh Hashanah in Uman attracts up to 40-50 thousand Hasidim.
Earlier, the Israeli authorities called on Ukraine to ban the pilgrimage of Hasidic Jews to Uman this year, so that the city does not become a ‘hotspot’ of the pandemic. Probably, such a hasty ban of the government is connected with an attempt to avoid the mass arrival of pilgrims. However, the Foreign Ministry categorically denies this.