'Religious exclusion': congressmen ask Ukraine to let the Hasidim from the USA into the country

For Rabbi Jonathan Ritty, this year would mark his 37th consecutive visit to Uman for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, which falls on September 18-20, writes "Voice of America".

Hasidim in Uman near the grave of Tzadik Nachman. Photo: Shutterstock

The grave, where the founder of Bratslav Hasidism, Tzadik Nachman from Bratslav, who lived at the end of the 50th century, is buried, is visited annually by up to XNUMX thousand Hasidic Jews. But this year, according to the Ukrainian authorities, no more than three thousand Hasidim will arrive in Uman, most of whom are already in Ukraine.

Rabbi Ritty, a resident of Mons, New York, and the son of renowned British actor Robert Ritty, said that visiting the grave of Tzaddik Nachman on Rosh Hashanah is central to Bratslav Hasidism.

“We were given a promise that his soul in the next world would pray for everyone who came to his grave on Rosh Hashanah, so that that person would have a blessed new year.”

At the end of August, the Ukrainian government announced a month-long restriction on the entry of foreigners due to the “growing number of new cases of COVID-19 in Ukraine.”

“Increasing crowds of people increase infection significantly... Mass celebration of Rosh Hashanah will lead to total collapse. First there will be a collapse in Ukraine, then there will be a collapse in other countries,” President Volodymyr Zelensky told representatives of Jewish religious organizations in Ukraine at a meeting on August 25, his official website reports.

Zelenskiy explained that his government has decided to close the borders to foreign visitors, including due to a request from the Israeli authorities, where most of the pilgrims reside. He recalled that Ukraine significantly limited mass services for its own citizens in April, when Christians celebrated Easter.

Rabbi Ritty told VOA that he still hopes to make the pilgrimage, and assures that he and the other pilgrims are ready to comply with all safety requirements.

“In my particular case, I had coronavirus and I have a lot of antibodies. But I’m happy to adhere to any restrictions or requirements upon arrival, be it quarantine in Uman or wearing a mask, social distancing, taking temperature.”

He also added that if any pilgrim experiences symptoms of the disease, “I don’t think he should go anywhere, not just to Uman.”

On the subject: Hasidim from the USA were not allowed into Ukraine: details of the conflict

American Hasidim, who are hoping for an exemption from the travel ban, have received support from 26 Republican members of the US Congress, who signed a letter asking Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to urge Ukraine to let American citizens in.

“There are at least a dozen exceptions to the Ukrainian border closure order, including the ability for students, diplomats and cultural figures to travel by invitation,” said the Sept. 4 letter, whose signatories include House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Calling on Ukraine to make a "limited religious exception" for two thousand people or fewer, the letter said Hasidim would respect Ukraine's security requirements, including the need to "remain separate from the local population."

“We respectfully ask that you consider this request given the excellent relationship between the United States, Ukraine and the Jewish communities. We are confident that this limited exception, with all the associated restrictions, will allow this long-standing religious tradition to continue safely,” the document says.

At the request of VOA, the author of the letter, Congressman Jeff Duncan, explained that he has long been working on issues of religious freedom.

“When COVID-19 turned our world upside down, we all had sacrifices,” the congressman said in a written response. “However, even in times of uncertainty, governments should continue to allow maximum flexibility for religious practices. I have deep respect for all faiths and believe that Ukraine has developed its travel restrictions with good intentions. But I also believe that they must find creative ways to accommodate people of faith in a safe and common sense way.”

Nachman Mostofsky, executive director of Hovevei Zion (one of the five Jewish organizations that supported the letter), explained that although he is not a Bratslav Hasid, he feels a desire to help.

“They waited a whole year for this, they saved every penny they could put aside to go. These people believe that going there will actually help them against COVID. They believe it will bring them a happy new year and a healthy new year.”

Mostofsky said he found the most support among evangelicals in Congress.

“I believe that Muslims should be able to travel to Mecca and Medina. And Mormons outside the US should be able to come and visit Utah. This is not necessarily a Jewish problem. This is a religious rights issue. Religious freedom is sacred to Americans."

The meeting with the Ukrainian president on August 25 was attended by the chief rabbi of Kiev, Yakov Bleich, who divides his time between the state of New York and Ukraine.

“I told [Zelensky] that this trip is very important for the Bratslav Hasidim. This is so important that even in Soviet times people risked everything to make this trip possible. Instead of trying to stop it, let's try to make it work using the existing legal framework that works for tourists: masks must be worn, no more than a certain number of people can gather in one place. And if they can solve it, let them come.”

However, he explained that several factors influenced the decision of the Ukrainian government to restrict entry into the country.

First, a second wave of COVID-19 was expected at the end of August, prompting neighboring Hungary to close its borders. Secondly, according to him, Israel asked Ukraine to limit the number of visitors to Rosh Hashanah, both because of the difficult epidemiological situation inside the country, and because of fears of new infections from pilgrims who will return from Ukraine.

He believes the decision by the Ukrainian authorities was influenced by the surge in COVID-19 cases following the Easter pilgrimage in eastern Ukraine, although many churches across the country held their Easter services online.

In the community of Orthodox Jews in New York State, not everyone believes that the pilgrimage to Uman is necessary this year.

Alex Kay, an Orthodox Jew who lives in Mons, New York, said he visited Uman several times, but this year the father of three is happy to be at home.

“We haven’t prayed together for months. The most important thing in the Torah is to take care of your life. Indeed, if you see Uman on Rosh Hashanah, there are so many people doing everything together: eating together, praying together, spending time together.”

Kay explained that he personally does not adhere to Bratslav Hasidism, but he has friends who are Bratslav Hasidim, and he understands how fundamental this pilgrimage is to their faith. But still, he says, not this year.

Even if there is a way to accept a small group of pilgrims, Kay, who moved to the United States from Kiev more than 20 years ago, finds it unacceptable for the United States to ask the Ukrainian authorities to make exceptions to its own rules.

“I love Ukraine. When people ask me where I’m from, I still say that I’m from Ukraine. This is my country and it is very dear to me. It’s hard for me to see that pressure is being put on the country. And for me it’s even more difficult because the Jews are participating in the pressure on them.”

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Nevertheless, the beginning of the pilgrimage turned into turbulent events in Uman. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry reported that a group of Hasidim destroyed a fence near the grave of Tzadik Nakhman in Uman, set up to streamline visits. According to Deputy Minister Anton Gerashchenko, the National Police and the State Migration Service decided to expel from Ukraine "two of the most aggressive Israeli citizens who caused unrest in Ukraine" and if other foreigners commit similar actions, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said, "they will also be deported from the territory of Ukraine ".

Earlier, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, criminal proceedings were opened under the article "violation of the equality of citizens" against a group of Ukrainian citizens, which, as the police established during their visit to the site, "did not allow foreigners to enter the territory of the household, citing the possibility of the spread of COVID-19 and , in their opinion, illegal construction. "

Also, according to the mayor of Uman, Aleksey Tsebriy, six Hasidic pilgrims who arrived in the city before the entry ban was established were found to have COVID-19.

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