In Uman, an accident occurred in which a mother from Israel and her six-year-old daughter sustained serious injuries. The incident happened two weeks before Rosh Hashanah, when a family with four children arrived in Ukraine for a pilgrimage to the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, writes September 10, 2025 www.ynetnews.com.
Serious Injuries and Medical Assistance
According to preliminary data, one of the daughters was seriously injured. The injured were evacuated to a nearby hospital. The incident occurred against the backdrop of the expected arrival of tens of thousands of Breslov Hasidim in the city.
The local emergency service United Hatzalah was dispatched to the accident site, providing vital medical assistance. At the same time, the United Hatzalah branch in Uman intensified its work ahead of Rosh Hashanah, maintaining a base of volunteers, ambulance services, and a clinic throughout the year.
Transportation Issues for Pilgrims
Plans to transport approximately 60,000 Israeli pilgrims to Uman faced difficulties. An agreement with Moldova to conduct about 50 charter flights to Chisinau was disrupted this week after Moldova introduced new requirements. These flights were supposed to be the closest option for access to Uman, and the disruption of the deal represents a significant logistical setback.
Warning of Additional Requirements
A senior representative of the Breslov community involved in the negotiations warned that “this demand for excessive payments from Moldova creates conditions for extortion and may lead to similar crises with other countries.”
Redistribution of Flights
Efforts are reportedly underway to redirect flights to other neighboring countries, creating significant uncertainty and concern among pilgrims. Usually, 140 to 150 flights are made to Uman annually. This year, amid uncertainty and the need to secure rights for some charter flights, only about 115 flights were planned, but likely only 100 will be completed.
Most flights will be conducted through neighboring countries, as Ukraine remains in a state of war. During an emergency budget meeting attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri, five ministries allocated funds amounting to 10 million shekels to meet Moldova’s infrastructure and security requirements for flights.
Distribution of Flights Across Airports
It is planned that the distribution of flights will be carried out across several airports in neighboring countries: Iasi — 25 flights, Tulcea — 24 flights, Bucharest — 18 flights, Rzeszow — 17 flights, Suceava — 5 flights, Bacau — 3 flights, Constanta — 6 flights.
Additionally, some pilgrims will use regular commercial flights to Chisinau. Despite the disruption of the agreement with Moldova, it is expected that about 10,000 pilgrims will still pass through Moldova on regular flights, and another 10,000 will likely travel overland through Moldova from Romania to Ukraine.