Keeping Watch: Ukrainian police stand guard as Hasidim pray in Ukrainian town of Uman. The annual pilgrimage to Jews is seen as a mixed blessing by some locals.

(JTA) — Ukrainian authorities are preparing for a record pilgrimage by tens of thousands of Jews gathering in the city of Uman for Rosh Hashanah.

Authorities are expecting up to 40,000 Jewish pilgrims ahead of the Jewish New Year, which this year falls on Sept. 20, the Ukrainian Government Press office told the ZN news website Tuesday.

In previous years, local authorities estimated that the annual pilgrimage brought 25,000 to 30,000 visitors to Uman — followers of Rabbi Nachman, an 18th-century luminary whose gravesite is the focal point of the celebration.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Authorities in Ukraine have improved access to Uman in recent years, with plans underway for reopening a disused military airport near the city for direct flights. Uman is located in central Ukraine, 150 miles south of Kiev and 200 miles south of Odessa.

Amid an increase in the popularity of the pilgrimage, Uman has seen several far-right rallies against the presence of Jews there. Street brawls between visitors and locals are not uncommon. Local media report of provocative and disorderly conduct by some pilgrims, who are predominantly foreign.

Last year, a synagogue in Uman was sprayed with red paint and desecrated with a pig’s head with a swastika carved into its forehead.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount