A Historic Record: Uman Welcomed More Than 50,000 Hasidim for Rosh Hashanah

This year, the Rosh Hashanah celebrations in Uman were marked by an unprecedented event: the city welcomed a record number of Hasidic pilgrims in the history of the event. According to a statement by Israeli Police Spokesperson Major Michael Zingerman, the number of visitors reached 52,000.

By comparison, last year the city welcomed about 42,000–43,000 pilgrims. The scale of the event is underscored by the fact that Uman’s permanent population is approximately 75,000, making the current strain on the city’s infrastructure extremely high. To ensure security and maintain public order, 17 Israeli police officers were deployed to Uman, where they are working alongside Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.

Responding to questions about the reasons for such high pilgrim activity during wartime, Major Zingerman cited two key factors. First, according to Hasidic religious beliefs, overcoming significant difficulties in organizing the trip only reinforces the importance of the pilgrimage. Second, the faithful note the high level of professionalism among Ukrainian security services, which fosters trust and a sense of security among arriving guests.

As a reminder, it was previously reported that the traditional annual religious procession, which was scheduled to begin on August 19 from the Holy Trinity Brailivsky Convent to the Dormition Pochaiv Lavra, will not take place this year. The decision to cancel the event was made due to the state of martial law and a corresponding order from the Vinnytsia Regional Administration.