Michael Brodsky completes his tenure in Ukraine: in Uman, the Israeli ambassador was thanked for five years of work

In Uman on July 20, 2026, a ceremonial event was held in honor of the Israeli ambassador to Ukraine, Michael Brodsky, who is concluding his diplomatic tenure after five years of service.

This is about the farewell to the diplomat in connection with the end of his term.

The event was hosted by the Breslov Center in Uman and the city’s chief rabbi, Yaakov Jan. Participants thanked Brodsky for strengthening relations between Israel and Ukraine, his attention to the Jewish community, and his work during the particularly difficult years of the full-scale war, – reported the Israeli bhol.co.il on July 20, 2026, and posted many photos from the ceremony.

Michael Brodsky continues to serve as the Israeli ambassador to Ukraine. His diplomatic mission is expected to conclude in August 2026, but the exact date of the end of his term has not yet been publicly announced. The ceremony held in Uman on July 20 was a pre-arranged farewell to the diplomat before the end of his tenure.

Formally, the ambassador’s powers will cease after Israel notifies the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine about the end of his mission. The appointment of a successor does not in itself terminate the powers of the current ambassador.

Who participated in the ceremony

Representatives of several Jewish communities, Israeli organizations, diplomatic structures, and the Uman municipality attended the meeting.

Among the participants were:

• Chief Rabbi of Uman Yaakov Jan;
• Chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine, Rabbi Meir Stambler;
• Chief Rabbi of Vinnytsia Shaul Horowitz;
• Chabad emissary in Kyiv and head of the Simcha school, Rabbi Moti Levengartz;
• Representative of the Federation of Jewish Communities Levi Edri;
• Representatives of ‘Ichud Hatzalah’ Matityahu Shapira and Naftali Rabinovich;
• Deputy Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Eli Ifrah;
• Israeli Consul in Moldova Sagi Rabovsky;
• Representative of the World Zionist Organization in Ukraine Nahman Steinenberg;
• General Director of the Breslov Center Michael Pinto;
• Deputy Mayor of Uman Oleg Ganis;
• Public figure of Uman Shlomi Elisha.

During the ceremony, words of gratitude were expressed for Brodsky’s activities throughout his tenure, especially during the war. The meeting concluded with wishes of success to the diplomat and hope for further strengthening of relations between Israel, the Jews of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian people.

What Brodsky was gifted and why

In a photo from the ceremony, it is seen that representatives of ‘Ichud Hatzalah’ presented Michael Brodsky with a silver model of an emergency medical vehicle encased in a transparent case, as well as a certificate of appreciation.

The certificate in Hebrew bears the diplomat’s name and reads:

“To Michael Brodsky — with gratitude and appreciation.”

The model of the vehicle symbolizes the work of ‘Ichud Hatzalah’ — the Israeli volunteer emergency medical service. Its representatives, Matityahu Shapira and Naftali Rabinovich, were among the official participants of the ceremony.

During the pilgrimage on Rosh Hashanah in Uman, tens of thousands of people are present simultaneously. Therefore, rescuers set up medical points, provide first aid, are on duty near prayer complexes, and interact with Ukrainian emergency services.

The original message does not state that the award is related to a specific rescue operation. Therefore, it is more accurate to explain it as a symbol of the long-term cooperation of the Israeli embassy with medical and rescue structures serving Israeli pilgrims.

Five years of Michael Brodsky in Ukraine

Michael Brodsky began his duties as the Israeli ambassador to Ukraine in August 2021.

On October 1, 2021, he presented his credentials to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. The meeting discussed bilateral relations, cooperation between Israel and Ukraine, the preservation of historical memory, and issues of Jewish life.

Brodsky was born on August 19, 1972. He graduated from Tel Aviv University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in diplomacy and national security.

From 2003 to 2006, he worked as the press attaché of the Israeli embassy in Moscow, and from 2006 to 2008, he was a political advisor there. From 2009 to 2013, he headed the public diplomacy direction at the Israeli embassy in the United Kingdom.

From 2015 to 2018, Brodsky was the Israeli ambassador to Kazakhstan and a non-resident ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, and from 2019 to 2021, he served as the director of the First Eurasian Department of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

February 24, 2022: the embassy’s work turned into evacuation

Most of Brodsky’s tenure coincided with the full-scale Russian war against Ukraine.

The embassy was moved from Kyiv to Lviv a few days before the invasion. After February 24, 2022, the diplomats relocated to Poland and for several months operated essentially as an ’embassy in exile’.

According to Brodsky himself, at the start of the war, more than 10,000 Israeli citizens remained in Ukraine. Diplomats opened a hotline, received calls around the clock, and helped people leave by buses and cars through Ukraine’s western borders.

On March 4, 2022, Michael Brodsky was involved in a car accident in Poland on his way to Warsaw. He sustained minor injuries and was taken to Israel for treatment. Temporary leadership of the diplomatic work was assumed by Simona Galperin, who then headed the Eurasian direction of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After treatment, Brodsky returned to work.

On May 17, 2022, he arrived in Kyiv and raised the Israeli flag near the embassy building. Together with Deputy Yoav Bistritzky, he led the first group of Israeli diplomats to return to the Ukrainian capital after the start of the full-scale invasion.

Why the ceremony was held in Uman

Uman is one of the most challenging areas of work for the Israeli embassy in Ukraine.

Every year on Rosh Hashanah, tens of thousands of Jews, many of whom hold Israeli citizenship, come to the city. They head to the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.

After the closure of Ukrainian airspace in February 2022, pilgrims have to travel through Moldova, Romania, Poland, Hungary, and other neighboring countries.

The Israeli embassy has to coordinate work with the Ukrainian government, the State Border Guard Service, the National Police, the authorities of the Cherkasy region, the Uman municipality, and transit countries.

On July 22, 2022, Brodsky urged Israelis to refrain from traveling to Uman. He warned that Ukraine is at war, and the embassy would not be able to guarantee the safety of pilgrims or provide full consular assistance in the event of a large-scale emergency.

Despite the warnings, the pilgrimage continued.

On September 9–10, 2023, Brodsky held talks with the leadership of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. Israel and Ukraine agreed on measures to facilitate the entry of tens of thousands of pilgrims through the borders of neighboring countries.

On September 14, 2023, Ukrainian authorities reported the round-the-clock operation of seven police posts in places of mass gathering of pilgrims. About 30,000 guests were expected in Uman, and Israeli police assisted Ukrainian law enforcement.

At the end of September 2024, Brodsky reported the arrival of another group of Israeli police in Uman. According to him, more than 30,000 pilgrims were expected, although the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs again recommended citizens refrain from traveling to the warring country.

Following the pilgrimage on October 2–4, 2024, Ukrainian officials reported that about 35,000 people arrived in Uman.

This is why the Breslov Center viewed Brodsky not just as an ambassador in Kyiv, but as the main official intermediary between Israel, the Ukrainian authorities, and tens of thousands of pilgrims.

Who are the Breslov Hasidim

Breslov, or Breslov Hasidim, are followers of the teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.

Rabbi Nachman was born in 1772 in Medzhybizh and was the great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism.

In September 1802, he moved to Breslov, a town in modern-day Vinnytsia region. The name of the movement comes from the name of Breslov. It should not be confused with Bratislava or the Polish Wrocław.

At the center of Rabbi Nachman’s teachings are personal prayer, spiritual joy, overcoming despair, and belief in a person’s ability to change their life.

One of the most well-known practices is hitbodedut — a solitary conversation with God in one’s own words.

Rabbi Nachman did not create a hereditary dynasty or appoint a successor. His closest disciple, Reb Natan Sternhartz of Nemirov, recorded and published the teachings of his mentor, supported the communities, and effectively led the movement, but did not proclaim himself the new rebbe.

Therefore, Breslov Hasidim still do not have a single supreme contemporary leader. There are different rabbis, communities, yeshivas, and organizations that recognize the spiritual authority of Rabbi Nachman.

Why they go to Uman

In the spring of 1810, the seriously ill Rabbi Nachman moved to Uman.

He spent the last months of his life there, addressed his followers on Rosh Hashanah 1810, and died on October 16, 1810, at the age of 38. He was buried in the old Jewish cemetery of Uman.

In the spring of 1811, Reb Natan organized an annual gathering of followers in Uman. Thus, the tradition of celebrating Rosh Hashanah near Rabbi Nachman’s grave began. In 1834, Reb Natan built a large synagogue for the gathering participants.

During the Soviet era, the pilgrimage was banned or conducted underground. Mass trips began to revive in the late 1980s and especially after Ukraine regained independence in 1991.

However, not every person who comes to Uman today is a Breslov Hasid in the strict sense. Among the guests are representatives of other religious directions, traditional Israelis, people who have returned to religious life, public figures, and those who perceive the trip as a one-time spiritual journey. Breslov sources also note that a significant portion of the pilgrims do not belong to the core of the movement.

Where they live and where they travel besides Uman

Most modern Breslov Hasidim do not live in Ukraine but in Israel.

The main communities and institutions operate in Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, Safed, and Yavneel. In Jerusalem and Bnei Brak, there are several thousand families that form the core of the movement. Synagogues, yeshivas, rabbinical educational institutions, and charitable foundations operate there.

Breslov centers and communities also exist in New York, Los Angeles, Lakewood, Montreal, London, and Paris. However, they do not have a single administrative structure that governs all the communities worldwide.

Uman is the main pilgrimage site for Rosh Hashanah, but Breslov Hasidim also visit:

• Breslov, where Rabbi Nachman lived and taught;
• Nemirov, associated with Reb Natan;
• Medzhybizh, where Rabbi Nachman was born and the Baal Shem Tov is buried;
• Berdychiv and other historical centers of Jewish life in Ukraine;
• Safed, Tiberias, and Mount Meron in Israel.

What is the Breslov Center in Uman

The Breslov Center in Uman, which hosted the ceremony in honor of Michael Brodsky, is a local religious, public, and coordination structure working with the Breslov community, pilgrims, Ukrainian authorities, and official representatives of Israel.

The origins of the organized activities of the center are linked to the work of Rabbi Yechiel Michel Dorfman. After leaving the USSR in 1969, he began preserving Rabbi Nachman’s grave, developing pilgrimage infrastructure, and building a large kloyz and mikvahs in Uman. This work was later continued by his students and representatives of Breslov communities.

The Israeli association ‘World Breslov Center’ was officially registered on June 24, 2003. It participated in maintaining the religious infrastructure of Uman, organizing pilgrimages, and negotiating with Ukrainian authorities.

The current ‘Breslov Center in Uman’, headed by the city’s chief rabbi Yaakov Jan and represented by Michael Pinto and Nahman Steinenberg, has been actively operating since at least 2024. However, open sources do not confirm that it is the direct legal successor of the association registered in 2003.

It is not the worldwide headquarters of Breslov Hasidism and does not own all the infrastructure near Rabbi Nachman’s grave. The center mainly deals with public relations, negotiations with authorities, pilgrimage preparation, coordination with police, diplomats, medics, and rescue organizations.

Who leads the center

The center operates under the leadership of the chief rabbi of Uman, Yaakov Jan.

Michael Pinto is listed as the general director of the Breslov Center. He is involved in organizational, public, and external work.

Nahman Steinenberg, a representative of the World Zionist Organization in Ukraine, also participates in the leadership and organization of the center’s external contacts.

In July 2024, the Breslov Center organized the first official visit of Uman’s mayor, Iryna Pletneva, and her deputies to Israel.

The Ukrainian delegation met with Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar, Minister of Religious Services Michael Malkieli, and Minister of Internal Affairs Moshe Arbel. They discussed Uman’s preparation for Rosh Hashanah, security, municipal cooperation, and the reception of tens of thousands of Israeli citizens. The visit was organized by Michael Pinto and Nahman Steinenberg.

Where the center is located and what is in the quarter

The center’s work is concentrated in the area of the Jewish pilgrimage quarter around Rabbi Nachman’s grave.

Officially, the grave is located at: Uman, Hryhoriya Kosynky Street, 1.

On July 2, 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine elevated the status of the site and recognized Rabbi Nachman’s grave as a monument of national historical significance. Before that, it had the status of a local significance monument.

However, a confirmed separate postal address for the administration of the Breslov Center itself is not specified in open publications. The center is better perceived as a coordination organization rather than just a single building.

In the pilgrimage quarter, there are:

• Rabbi Nachman’s grave;
• Synagogues and prayer halls;
• A large Breslov kloyz — a house of prayer and study;
• Mikvahs for religious purification;
• Hotels, apartments, and hospitality houses;
• kosher kitchens and dining rooms;
• medical points;
• charitable organizations;
• bookstores and centers for the distribution of religious literature.

However, all this does not belong to one structure.

The complex directly near the grave is managed by a separate organization — “Ihud Breslov in Uman”, or Breslov Union.

On August 25, 2025, this organization announced a project to reconstruct the complex costing more than two million dollars. The plan includes separate prayer halls for Ashkenazi and Sephardic rites, a women’s section, a dance hall, new sanitary facilities, and rest areas.

According to the organizers, the annual maintenance of the complex exceeds 800 thousand dollars, and preparation for Rosh Hashanah alone costs more than 350 thousand dollars.

Thus, the “Breslov Center” Pinto and Jan is primarily engaged in public relations, coordination, and interaction with the authorities, while “Ihud Breslov” manages the grave complex itself. These are different structures, although they may cooperate.

How the center works before Rosh Hashanah

Before the annual pilgrimage, center representatives participate in negotiations on:

• border operations and transport routes;
• accommodation for tens of thousands of people;
• sanitary conditions;
• water and electricity supply;
• police and rescue operations;
• medical points;
• access to shelters;
• actions during air raids;
• consular assistance to Israeli citizens.

In 2024–2025, the center also interacted with “Ihud Hatzalah” in preparing medical units and volunteers for the mass arrival of pilgrims. Organization representatives named Yaakov Jan as one of the center’s leaders, Michael Pinto as the general director, and Nachman Steinenberg as the coordinator of relations with the authorities.

The center’s work is not limited to the pilgrimage.

On September 6, 2025, the Israeli international cooperation agency MASHAV announced the installation of a water purification system at the Central City Hospital in Uman. The project was implemented jointly with the Israeli embassy and is intended to provide clean drinking water to the hospital and residents of nearby areas.

Michael Brodsky personally opened the installation during a visit to Uman. Michael Pinto and Nachman Steinenberg also participated in the event.

NANews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency notes that in this way, the center gradually transformed from a structure associated only with religious pilgrimage into a mediator between the Jewish community, the city of Uman, and Israeli governmental and public organizations.

How Brodsky was connected to the Breslov Center

Michael Brodsky did not publicly call himself a Breslov Hasid.

His connection with the center was diplomatic and practical.

Through the embassy, issues of entry for Israeli citizens, interaction with Ukrainian border guards, the arrival of Israeli police and medics, missile threat warnings, consular staff work, and contacts with the Uman municipality were resolved.

After the war began, these tasks became significantly more complicated. The pilgrimage effectively turned into an annual international operation involving the authorities of Ukraine, Israel, Moldova, and other transit countries.

Brodsky simultaneously warned citizens of the danger and continued negotiations, understanding that even after official recommendations, tens of thousands of people would still head to Uman.

That is why the Breslov Center organized a separate ceremony for him. For the center’s leadership, he was the main representative of Israel, with whom pilgrimage, security, medical, and humanitarian cooperation issues were resolved over five years.

The last weeks of the term and the new ambassador

Even before the ceremony in Uman, Michael Brodsky received official recognition from the Ukrainian capital.

On July 8, 2026, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko awarded him the “For the Defense of Kyiv” medal for supporting the Ukrainian capital during the war.

Klitschko thanked the diplomat for five years of service, open dialogue, partnership, and participation in joint projects. The parties discussed Israel’s assistance after the start of the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.

Brodsky, for his part, recalled the support Ukraine expressed to Israel after the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023.

The name of Brodsky’s successor has been known since the end of 2025.

On November 23, 2025, the Israeli government approved the appointment of career diplomat Roi Rosenblit as the new ambassador to Ukraine. Previously, Rosenblit was Israel’s ambassador to Senegal, worked as deputy head of diplomatic missions in Moscow and Cairo, and represented Israel in the Pacific region countries.

The formal transfer of powers is completed after diplomatic procedures and the presentation of credentials by the new ambassador to the Ukrainian side.

NANews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency notes that Michael Brodsky’s term was one of the most challenging in the history of the Israeli diplomatic mission in Ukraine.

He arrived in Kyiv in August 2021, when relations between the two countries were developing peacefully. Already six months later, the embassy had to evacuate citizens, leave the Ukrainian capital, and work from Poland.

Brodsky returned to Kyiv on May 17, 2022, continued working under air raid alerts, coordinated humanitarian projects, and simultaneously was responsible for the safety of tens of thousands of Israelis who annually come to Uman.

The ceremony on July 20, 2026 was not just a farewell to the ambassador. It summed up five years of cooperation, during which diplomacy was associated not only with negotiations between governments but also with the evacuation of people, medicine, community work, and citizen safety during the war.