On August 7, 2026, an unusual message emerged from one of the oldest circles of the Breslov Hasidic world. Senior rabbis had asked that a letter of gratitude be conveyed to the President of Ukraine and to the Ukrainian people for continuing to make the traditional Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to Uman possible — even as the country remains under Russian attack.

The initiative was reported by Anastasia Baryshnikova, PR director of the International Charitable Foundation named after Rabbi Nachman, and published by Uman Media.

According to the report, the gathering took place at the home of Rabbi Yaakov Meir Shechter, one of the most prominent senior Breslov spiritual figures in Jerusalem. Rabbi Shmuel Moshe Kramer, Rabbi Yaakov Shiloach of Uman and other religious leaders were also present.

They asked Natan Ben-Nun, head of the International Charitable Foundation named after Rabbi Nachman and a long-time figure involved in organizing the Uman pilgrimage and coordinating with Ukrainian authorities, to convey the message to Ukraine’s president and people ahead of the Jewish New Year.

The rabbis’ message was unusually direct:

“We deeply appreciate the efforts of Ukraine, which, while living under conditions of war, opens its doors to tens of thousands of Jews who come to Uman to pray. This is not something that should be taken for granted. Gratitude is our moral and Jewish obligation. The President of Ukraine, the central government and the local authorities devote significant attention to organizing the traditional pilgrimage despite the many security and logistical challenges,” representatives of the Breslov community said.

“We deeply appreciate the efforts of Ukraine, which, while living under conditions of war, opens its doors to tens of thousands of Jews who come to Uman to pray. This is not something that should be taken for granted. Gratitude is our moral and Jewish obligation. The President of Ukraine, the central government and the local authorities devote significant attention to organizing the traditional pilgrimage despite the many security and logistical challenges,” representatives of the Breslov community said.

That statement matters not only because of what was said, but because of who said it.

Why a message from these rabbis carries particular weight

Rabbi Yaakov Meir Shechter belongs to the traditional Jerusalem Haredi world and has long been associated with circles connected to the Edah HaChareidis — a community historically wary of Zionist state institutions and hardly known for issuing diplomatic compliments to governments.

Rabbi Shmuel Moshe Kramer comes from the same old Jerusalem Breslov milieu.

This makes the gesture toward Ukraine rather different from a routine message exchanged between officials before a holiday. It comes from a religious environment whose relationship with states, governments and political establishments is often cautious by definition.

For NAnews — Israel News, this is precisely what makes the episode interesting. The relationship that has developed around Uman does not fit neatly into ordinary diplomacy. It is a practical relationship between a state at war and religious communities whose largest centers today are thousands of kilometers away, primarily in Israel and North America.

And that relationship becomes especially striking once one looks at what Ukraine is actually doing.

Ukraine is warning pilgrims not to come — and preparing for them anyway

There is an apparent contradiction in Ukraine’s approach to Rosh Hashanah 5787.

On the one hand, Ukrainian authorities are making preparations for a mass........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)