Moldova bars Israeli Jews from annual pilgrimage to Uman for Rosh Hashana

 The government of Moldova is taking steps to block Jewish pilgrims from visiting a popular religious site in Eastern Europe this fall, complicating plans for tens of thousands of Jews to pray there during the upcoming holiday season.

With the war between Russia and Ukraine still raging and air travel to Ukraine limited, Jewish pilgrims to Uman have relied on roads from the neighboring state of Moldova to access the tomb of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, the late 18th-early 19th century founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement.

A popular pilgrimage destination for Breslov Hasidim and other Jewish visitors during the High Holidays – and in particular Rosh Hashanah – Rebbe Nachman’s tomb in Uman is located some 75 miles (120 kilometers) from the Moldovan border.

Despite the war in Ukraine and the difficulties in reaching Uman, tens of thousands of visitors took part in last year’s Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage, with most of the pilgrims reaching Uman from Moldova.

In 2023, Moldova coordinated with Israel to facilitate the influx of Israeli tourists into the country, with Israel compensating the Moldovan government for the special security preparations necessary to handle the surge in tourists and the need to adhere to Israeli standards of security.

This year, however, Moldova has indicated it will not permit the mass entry of Israelis seeking to reach Uman, Yedioth Aharanoth reported Wednesday, claiming that Israel has yet to pay Moldova back for last year’s security arrangements.

A number of flights from Israel to Moldova ahead of the Rosh Hashanah holiday – which begins on October 2nd – have been canceled, and Moldova is reportedly planning on blocking access to the roads used to reach the Ukrainian border by Israeli pilgrims last year.

Daniel Voda, spokesman for Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean, said that without repayment for last year’s security provisions, his country would not facilitate the mass entry of Israelis this year.

Moldovan Chief Rabbi Pinchas Salzman said he was “surprised by the news,” claiming that an agreement was in place between Israel and Moldova.

“I am trying to schedule meetings to cancel this decree,” Rabbi Salzman said.

“The State of Israel gave the Moldovans a guarantee to pay the debt. Maybe someone thinks that Israel is weak because of the war and can be blackmailed, but they are wrong.”