Eight percent of Jews in Israel aged 18 and over have visited the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in Uman at least once in their lifetime, according to a new survey by the Israel Democracy Institute published ahead of Rosh Hashanah.
Among Israelis who have visited Uman, 28.5% have gone only once, while 49% visit once every few years. Another 22.5% travel to Uman at least once a year.
The survey also found that most visitors do not travel to Uman specifically for Rosh Hashanah. Some 59% visited at another time of year, while 26% went only during Rosh Hashanah and 15% visited both during Rosh Hashanah and at other times.
Traditional Israelis make up the largest share of Uman visitors, accounting for 42% overall: 26% are religious-traditional, and 16% are traditional but not religious. Haredim account for 26%, secular Israelis for 21%, and religious-Zionist Israelis for 11%.
Looking at the proportion of visitors within each group, however, haredim are the most likely to have made the trip. Nineteen percent of haredi Israelis have visited Uman at least once, compared with 16% of religious-traditional Israelis, 7% of religious-Zionist Israelis, 7% of traditional but not religious Israelis, and 4% of secular Israelis.
A significant difference also emerged by ethnic background. Thirteen percent of Mizrahi Israelis have visited Uman, compared with 5% of Ashkenazi Israelis and 4% of Israelis of mixed origin. The survey notes that the finding corresponds with the higher proportion of traditional Israelis among the Mizrahi population and with previous research on the relationship between Mizrahi Israelis, Rabbi Nachman, Breslov Hasidism and the tradition of visiting the graves of righteous figures.
Men were somewhat more likely than women to have visited Uman, with 9% of men reporting at least one visit compared with 7% of women. The timing of visits also differed significantly: 55% of male visitors traveled to Uman for Rosh Hashanah, compared with just 23% of female visitors. Among women who visited Uman, 77% did so at other times of the year.
Age and income were also associated with visit rates. Ten percent of Israelis aged 18-44 have visited Uman, compared with 6% of those aged 45 and over. Among Israelis with below-median incomes, 12% have visited, compared with 9% among those with incomes near the median and 6% among those earning above the median.