Israel Releases Outline That May Allow Israelis to Travel to Uman

Following extended discussions over the past week to find a way to allow Israelis to travel to Uman, Ukraine, for the annual nesiah to the kever of the Rebbe Reb Nachman of Breslov, zy”a, for Rosh Hashanah, the group of ministers appointed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu released on Motzoei Shabbos an outline that will allow the trip to occur under restricting conditions.

The outline still needs to be approved by the Ukrainian government.

The outline took into consideration discussions held by the Ukrainian government defining their guidelines for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, and was drafted in a way that would satisfy all involved parties, including the Breslover Chassidim and Ukrainian health authorities.

According to the outline, reported by Channel 12, Israelis traveling to Uman will do so in small groups, each including only a few dozens of people. The exact number has not been set yet.

Additionally, visiting Reb Nachman’s tziyun will be done in the form of a “moving assembly line” in order to prevent a prolonged stay in a crowded space. Finally, upon their return to Israel, the travelers will also be divided into groups and will be required to enter quarantine under supervision after returning.

While the outline offers suitable solutions for various concerns that were raised by the Ukrainian authorities, it might not be relevant if the Ukrainian government does not change its current policy which prevents any tourist from any country from entering the country.

According to Channel 12, the first and most important objective of the outline is to allow for the safe return of the approximately 2,000 Chassidim who are already in Ukraine.