Some 30,000 ultra-Orthodox and traditional Israelis make a pilgrimage to the Ukrainian town of Uman annually, around the Jewish New Year holiday. Many of them are Breslov Hasidim, who are taught from a young age about the importance of gathering around the “marker,” the burial place of their sect’s founder, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810).

Reports this year say that thousands of Breslov Hasidim have already made their way to Ukraine, with thousands more expected to join them, despite the fighting still going on in Ukraine.

The last few years were especially difficult for the Breslov Hasidim. They contended with coronavirus restrictions, followed almost immediately by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Just two years ago, Yehezkel Cohen of Jerusalem found himself stuck in Belarus. He was planning to continue on to Uman, but the Ukrainian authorities blocked the entry of tourists into the region because of the pandemic. As a result, Cohen was forced to spend the holiday with his sons, ages 12 and 15, in a remote village in Belarus instead, with little in the way of food or shelter.