Thousands of Israelis began the annual pilgrimage to the grave of a 19th century Chasidic sage in Ukraine.
An estimated 12,000 people, mostly Chasidic men, set off Sunday from Israel for Rosh Hashanah services at the grave of Rabbi Nahman of Breslav, whose life spawned a Chasidic movement that today also has many devotees among Israelis of secular backgrounds.
Each year before Rosh Hashanah, travel firms arrange special charter flights and hotel packages in Uman , where the grave is located, to accommodate what is said to be the biggest Jewish pilgrimage outside Israel.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
