ABOUT
700 HASIDIM
TRY TO ENTER UKRAINE FROM BELORUSSIA
Interfax-Religiia,
15
September 2020
On the
Ukrainian
border with Belorussia, Hasidic pilgrims are continuing to
arrive, trying to
get into the country.
As of
7:00 a.m. on
Tuesday, 690 citizens were at the border, Sergei Deiniko, the
head of the State
Border Service, reported, while discussing the developing
situation with
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.
"We
predict the
arrival at the border of up to 1,000 persons in Chernigov
oblast, up to 700 in
Zhitomir oblast, and up to 1,500 in Volyn oblast. We expect the
arrival in the
city of Minsk of three charters, around 600 foreigners," Deineko
explained, quoting the press service of the president.
As
reported, Ukraine
has temporarily prohibited, until 28 September, entry of
foreigners because of
the coronavirus.
Nevertheless,
according
to information of the State Border Service, since 15:30 on 14
September, pilgrims have begun arriving at the border from the
direction of
Belorussia. Ukrainian border officers, in coordination with the
Ukrainian
National Guard and National Police have set up a barrier along
the line of the
border, 700 meters from the Novye Yarilovichi checkpoint.
To
reinforce the
closure of the Belorussian sector, reserves have been brought in
from the
National Academy, the Ukrainian State Border Service, and the
Sumi border detachment.
Also activated were a Mi-I helicopter, two N-125 DA-40
airplanes, and
pilot-less aerial vehicles for monitoring the border.
The
Ukrainian State
Border Service has arranged cooperation with the Belorussian
State Border
Service and is supporting contact with the Israeli embassy in
Ukraine and also
with rabbis, who are providing water and kosher meals for the
arriving
Hasidim.
Earlier
Deiko met with
persons arriving at the border and read to them the requirements
of the order
by the Ukrainian cabinet of ministers regarding restriction on
entry. He noted
that every foreign citizen must respect the laws of Ukraine and
the rules
regulating the crossing of state boundaries. The head of the
agency also
clearly noted the impermissibility of violation of the border by
foreigners.
(tr. by PDS, posted 15 September 2020)
UKRAINE
CLOSES
BORDERS FOR FOREIGNERS DUE TO COVID-19, WHICH WILL
SUBSTANTIALLY AFFECT
PILGRIMAGE OF HASIDIM TO UMAN
On 26
August, the
cabinet of ministers adopted a decision closing Ukrainian
borders for foreigners
until late September.
According
to Prime
Minister Denis Shmygal, this order, with amendments, should be
published today,
27 August, and take effect at midnight on 29 August, and it
will remain in
effect until midnight on 28 September.
It is
proposed to
prevent entry onto the territory of the country for
foreigners, except persons
who enter the territory of our country in transit and who have
documents
confirming their exit within 2 days; are studying in
educational institutions
of our country; are performing military service in the armed
forces of Ukraine;
reside continually on the territory of Ukraine and have
pertinent
certification; are recognized as refugees, or persons who need
additional
protection; are workers in diplomatic representations and
consular institutions
of foreign states or representations of official international
missions,
organizations accredited to Ukraine, and members of their
families; or who
arrive on invitation of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
We add
that the
decision to close the borders will substantially affect the
pilgrimage of
Hasidim to Uman, where the founder of Breslov Hasidism, Tadik
Nachman, is
buried. Uman is the site of mass pilgrimage of adherents of
his teaching. In
the autumn, for celebration of the Jewish New Year, 20,000 to
30,000 Hasidim
pilgrims arrive here from various countries. In 2020, the
celebration of Rosh
Hashanah will be on 18 to 20 September.
There
is no official
prohibition on the entry of Hasidim, although the Ukrainian
government has
several times made a decision to substantially limit their
pilgrimage to Uman
for this year.
On 25
August,
President Vladimir Zelensky met with representatives of Jewish
religious
organizations of Ukraine and discussed the adoption of
anti-epidemic measures
during the pilgrimage to Uman. He also urged the rabbis to
help avoid the mass
gathering of people during the celebration of Rosh Hashanah.
At the
request of the
prime minister of Israel, the government of Ukraine on 25
August also made a
decision about substantial limitation of the pilgrimage of
Hasidim to Uman for
celebration of Rosh Hashanah.
The
Ministry of
Foreign Affairs earlier reported that the arrival of tens of
thousands of
Hasidic pilgrims at the city for celebration of the holiday of
Rosh Hashanah
in its traditional format this year is impossible.
As
RISU has reported,
a group of 50 Hasidim, who arrived on 25 August at the airport
in Borispol
from Tel Aviv, was not allowed to enter Ukraine for several
hours, although
afterward all of them were admitted. (tr. by PDS, posted 15
September 2020)
HEAD
OF CHERKASSY
OBLAST DISCUSSES CONDITIONS FOR HASIDIM PILGRIMAGE TO UMAN
WITH ISRAELI
AMBASSADOR
Religiia
v Ukraine, 3
September 2020
The
chairman of the
Cherkassy oblast state administration, Sergei Sergiichuk,
discussed on 2
September during a joint meeting with the extraordinary and
plenipotentiary
ambassador of the state of Israel to Ukraine, Joel Lion, the
question of
compliance with the quarantine measures in Uman during the
pilgrimage of
Hasidim to the grave of Tzadik Nachman, according to the
Telegram channel of
the chairman of the Cherkassy oblast state administration.
"Supplementary
anti-epidemic
measures will be adopted in the region of pilgrimage,"
Sergei Sergiichuk noted after meeting with the ambassador.
"Compliance
with the quarantine measure will be confirmed in Uman by the
chief sanitary
physician of Ukraine, Viktor Liashko. Along with law
enforcement and state food
service we examined public locations of the region of
pilgrimage. In
particular, places for public eating and lodging."
In the
region of
pilgrimage, an additional checkpoint for conducting PCR
testing will be
established. A separate location will be formed for housing
pilgrims in the
event of infection, if they do not require hospitalization in
a medical
facility.
"Quarantine
standards,
safety, and compliance with the law in all aspects—by both
citizens
of Ukraine and pilgrims—will be under the control of all
services and me
personally," the chairman of the Cherkassy oblast
administration noted.
Recently
in Uman a confrontation
of local residents with Hasidim occurred. The residents of
Uman did not want to
permit Jewish pilgrims at the grave of Tsadik Nachman, because
quarantine
restrictions had been introduced in the city. (tr. by PDS,
posted 15 September
2020)
TWO
HASIDIM EXPELLED
FROM UKRAINE BECAUSE OF BRAWL AT GRAVE OF TZADIK NACHMAN
Two
citizens of
Israel were expelled from Ukraine for starting disorders in
Uman, declared
Deputy Minister Anton Gerashchenko. This was reported by Radio
Liberty.
Gerashchenko
noted
that yesterday in Uman, several pilgrims staged a "brawl" at
the
grave of Tsadik Nachman and broke down a fence around the site
of pilgrimage.
"National
Police
and the Migration Service made a decision about expulsion from
Ukraine of two
of the most aggressive Israeli citizens, the instigators of
disorders," he
declared.
Gerashchenko
added
that similar measure will be taken also with respect to other
foreigners in the
event of hooligan actions.
At the
same time, the
State Migration Service has reported the expulsion of one
citizen of Israel. He
will stay in Ukraine until 25 September and thus he will have
the possibility
of celebrating the holiday of Rosh Hashanah in Uman.
"In
the event
the foreigner neglects the requirements of the decision about
the compulsory
return, he can expect forcible expulsion," the report of the
State
Migration Service says.
The
man also was
banned from entry into Ukraine for three years.
On 25
August, the
office of the president of Ukraine announced that at the
request of Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu it was decided to limit
substantially the
current pilgrimage of Hasidim to Uman for celebration of Rosh
Hashanah, the
Jewish New Year.
Rosh
Hashanah is
celebrated over two days. This year the holiday begins in the
evening of 18
September and ends on 20 September. (tr. by PDS, posted 15
September 2020)
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