Arutz Sheva has learned that the Religious Affairs Minister, Matan Kahana, will be discussing the issue of travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah in the coming days, in an attempt to draw up a workable outline for Breslov hassidim wishing to make the trip to Ukraine.
Kahana will reportedly be holding discussions with senior rabbinical figures whose opinions will be accorded considerable weight.
Kahana has been charged by the Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, to oversee the issue of traveling to Uman for Rosh Hashanah. Tens of thousands of Israeli citizens typically spend Rosh Hashanah in Uman, where Rebbe Nachman of Breslov zy”a is buried. Spending Rosh Hashanah in Uman is one of the main foundations of Breslov hassidut.
One of the options being considered is allowing only those who have either been vaccinated or who have an immunity certificate to travel. There are currently no restrictions on large gatherings in Ukraine.
Last year, despite the government publicly proclaiming that it was seeking a solution, Ukraine shut its borders to foreigners following a letter sent by Israel’s then-coronavirus project manager, Prof. Ronni Gamzu, to the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, asking him to take steps to ensure that Breslov hassidim did not succeed in reaching Uman. Many thousands of Breslov hassidim nonetheless attempted to reach Uman and ended up spending the festival on the border between Belarus and Ukraine, in extremely primitive conditions.