No decision yet if ultra-Orthodox Jews can go to Uman for High Holy Days
Thousands of hassidim have also arrived • Gamzu: this is not ‘holy’ – ‘will bring us to lockdown’
By HANNAH BROWNMagen David Adom worker wearing protective gear against the coronavirus in Israel(photo credit: FLASH90)
At a Sunday evening meeting of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top ministers, the premier was expected to announce a decision about whether he would forbid flights to the Ukraine for Rosh Hashanah, but said he would delay his decision until the coronavirus cabinet meeting on Monday morning.Tens of thousands of hassidim and others take such flights to make their annual pilgrimage to the Ukrainian city of Uman for the Jewish New Year, to pray at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.Health Minister Yuli Edelstein, Housing and Construction Minister Ya’acov Litzman, Interior Minister Arye Deri, Transportation Minister Miri Regev and representatives of the Breslov sect took part in the meeting, in which they discussed the risks of allowing the flights to go ahead as planned in light of the coronavirus crisis, both here and in the Ukraine.Even before the meeting, Litzman, the former health minister from the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Agudat Yisrael Party, had harsh words for the newly appointed coronavirus commissioner, Prof. Ronni Gamzu.Gamzu said in an interview on Saturday that the Uman pilgrimage “will bring us to lockdown” and that it is not “holy” but is just a “party or a feast,” and that no travel to Ukraine should be allowed during this period.Gamzu also sent a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week urging him to enforce a ban on travel from Israel to Uman this year. Litzman slammed the letter ahead of Sunday night’s meeting, saying that Gamzu had overstepped his authority and should be fired. Gamzu responded that he has no intention of stepping down and that he has the full support of the government.Following Sunday’s meeting, Gamzu released a statement that said: “The Torah obliges us all to ‘guard your souls.’ A gathering of tens of thousands of people in one compound will make Israel a redder state and lead to a closure that will harm Israeli citizens, the world of Torah, and the Israeli economy.“My heart goes out to the Breslov followers, but despite the great desire to reach Rabbi Nachman’s tomb, preserving the lives of the citizens of Israel and their health is more important than anything else.”Yisrael Beytenu MK Yulia Malinovsky tweeted on Sunday night: “The one who should resign is Minister Litzman, who continues to endanger public health in his remarks. Litzman will do us all a favor and just resign.”Whatever the cabinet decides on Monday, it may be too late to stop thousands of Israelis from gathering in Uman.According to a report on Channel 12 News, hundreds or perhaps thousands of the Breslov faithful are already assembling in Uman. The early evening news broadcast featured an interview with a haredi man named Binyamin Yosef Friedman who is already in Uman, who said that thousands of like-minded hassidim had also arrived.The report showed hassidim praying in Uman wearing masks, amid signs in Russian and Yiddish asking them to maintain social distancing and follow other anti-virus regulations. It also showed barricades being erected that will force worshipers to keep their distance from each other.Ynet quoted ultra-Orthodox men who said that no government ruling would deter them from reaching their goal.The number of coronavirus patients in Israel currently stands at 22,045, an increase of 23 over the total number of active cases announced by the Health Ministry Sunday morning. Of those, 398 people are in serious condition, with 115 on ventilators. The death toll rose during the day and now stands at 834.Israel recently surpassed the milestone of 100,000 total cases of the virus since the start of the pandemic; the number currently stands at 102,380.Blue and White MK Pnina Tamano-Shata was diagnosed with coronavirus on Sunday.A spokesperson for the Knesset said that "The Knesset will continue an epidemiological investigation into the matter in coordination with representatives of the Ministry of Health."In light of these figures, it should come as no surprise that Ukrainians – and even residents of Uman who reportedly make the majority of their yearly income from the hassidim who come for the Jewish New Year – don’t want Israeli tourists this year.Ynet quoted Uman Mayor Oleksandr Tsebriy last week as saying he was ready to put up roadblocks to keep “outsiders” out of Uman, and that 94% of the city’s population opposed the entry of foreign nationals from “red” countries, such as Israel.Following Israel’s designation as a country with a high rate of infection, Ukrainian Internal Affairs Minister Arsen Avakov said in a statement quoted by Ynet: “Such an event format amid the pandemic creates huge risks for the spread of the virus, not only for the participants of the event but also for the local residents.”
