Preparations for Hasidic pilgrimage to Uman discussed in Kyiv

Representatives of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (SSEC) held a working meeting with a delegation from the Hasidic community in the United States to coordinate the annual pilgrimage to Uman. The parties focused on security issues and organizational aspects of the believers’ stay under martial law.

According to the official website of the HESS, the head of the department Viktor Yelensky and his first deputy Viktor Voynalovich met with Rabbi David Niederman, president of the United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg and North Brooklyn. The main topic of the dialog was preparation for the celebration of the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah, when thousands of Bratslav Hasidim traditionally visit the tomb of Tzadik Nachman.

The participants of the meeting paid special attention to the safety of pilgrims, logistics and interaction between Ukrainian authorities and representatives of international Hasidic communities. Rabbi David Niederman expressed deep gratitude to the Ukrainian state for the opportunity to make pilgrimage in conditions of full-scale aggression by the Russian Federation and for the unwavering support of the principles of religious freedom.

In turn, Viktor Yelensky emphasized that Ukraine remains committed to the values of religious freedom and continues to make every effort to ensure that believers can freely implement their religious practices. The parties also shared past experiences and discussed the specific challenges of the upcoming pilgrimage season, touching on broader issues of contemporary Jewish religious life in Ukraine.