“Shalom, Orthodox Christians!”: Israel's Ministry of Transport prepares for mass pilgrimage of Hasidim to Uman

Despite the ban on mass events in Ukraine due to the hostilities, the Israeli Ministry of Transport is once again preparing a mass pilgrimage of Hasidim to the Ukrainian city of Uman to celebrate Rosh Hashanah. This time, the events will take place on September 22-24, 2025. It is noteworthy that due to the closure of Ukraine’s airspace, Jewish pilgrims will enter Ukraine through neighboring countries — Moldova, Romania, and Poland. This was reported by JewishNews.

It is reported that the purpose of the preparations is to organize landing slots for Israeli planes, confirm their presence at airports in transit countries, and regulate the entry of Hasidim. The Israeli Ministry of Transport’s increased attention to the situation is due to the fact that last year’s pilgrimage was complicated by problems in Moldova, where Chisinau airport restricted transit due to insufficient capacity and security issues, as well as unpaid debts of Hasidim for services rendered.

According to the Israeli side, many pilgrims encountered difficulties while traveling through Romania, Hungary, or Poland, and a crisis arose at the Romanian airport of Bacău: pilgrims complained of police brutality and a lack of food, water, and shelter. This year, Israeli politicians are seeking to ensure unhindered transit, in particular through the new Israeli embassy in Moldova, although agreements with the Moldovan authorities have not yet been confirmed.

Last year, we reported that the Khmelnytsky regional administration had banned mass religious events from August 16 to 25. The relevant order was published just before the start of the traditional annual Cross Procession from Kamianets-Podilskyi to Pochaiv, dedicated to the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is the patronal feast of the Holy Dormition Pochaiv Lavra.