Hasidic pilgrims begin to leave Ukrainian-Belarusian border – State Border Guard Service

Hasidic pilgrims stranded at a neutral section of the Ukrainian-Belarusian border near the Novi Yarylovychi checkpoint started returning en masse to Belarus, acting spokesperson for the Chernihiv border detachment of the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service Halyna Shekhovtsova has told Ukrinform.

"Yes, they are gathering and returning to Belarus. About 700 more of them are still there," she said.

Over 1,000 Hasidic Jewish pilgrims arrived at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border on September 14 and were stranded in the neutral zone between the Belarusian and Ukrainian checkpoints. They were not allowed to enter Ukraine due to the ban on the entry of foreigners until September 28 related to the prevention of the spread of COVID-19. The Novi Yarylovychi checkpoint was closed from September 16.

The pilgrims explained their arrival from Belarus to the line of the Ukrainian border by their desire to come to Uman, Cherkasy region, for the traditional celebration of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah.

The city of Uman, where the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement, Rebbe Nachman, was buried, is a site of mass pilgrimage for followers of his teachings. In 2020, Rosh Hashanah falls on September 18-20.

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