Uman Organizer: “A Quarter-Million Are Expected for Rosh Hashanah After the War — Uman Isn’t Ready”

Rabbi Mordechai Gottlieb, one of the organizers of the Rosh Hashanah gatherings in Uman, spoke with Belaaz’s correspondent on the ground about this year’s atmosphere at the Kever of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov in Uman, Ukraine, and about what’s coming next.

Despite the ongoing war, Gottlieb said the number of Yidden making the journey to Uman has continued to climb, forcing organizers into increasingly complex logistical planning to accommodate the crowds.

This year, roughly 50,000 people were expected to daven at the Tzion for Rosh Hashanah. But Gottlieb told Belaaz that once the war ends, organizers are preparing for a dramatically larger crowd, as many as a quarter-million people are expected to descend on Uman for Rosh Hashanah.

“Uman isn’t ready,” Gottlieb said, pointing to the scale of preparation. Housing, security, infrastructure — that a crowd five times the current size would demand.

Organizers say planning for that scenario is already underway, even as this year’s smaller-scale gathering proceeds under wartime conditions.