More than 120 police officers of Kyiv region provide protection of public safety and order at the Boryspil airport during the arrival of Hasidic pilgrims, the Interior Ministry’s Telegram channel reported on Wednesday.
“The police are carrying out a set of security measures so that Israelis and citizens of other foreign countries can celebrate the Jewish New Year in safety. A number of services are involved in ensuring public safety and order: Boryspil district police, patrol police, special police, explosives, dialogue police and more than 50 servicemen of the National Guard,” the report said.
There is also a Situation Center at the airport, which is also responsible for coordinating the activities of the law enforcement units involved.
As reported, this year the mass celebration of the Jewish New Year falls on September 6-8. Several thousand Hasidic pilgrims have already arrived in Uman, Cherkasy region, to celebrate the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah in advance, as not everyone was able to attend the celebration last year due to intensified anti-epidemic measures. In total, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine expects the arrival of more than 20,000 believers this year.
It is known that every autumn pilgrims go to Uman to celebrate Rosh Hashanah on the grave of their spiritual leader Nachman. He was born in the town of Medzhybizh (Khmelnytsky region now) in 1772 (5532 from the creation of the world according to the Jewish calendar). Then he led a nomadic lifestyle, visited different towns of Ukraine, mainly Medvedivka and Zlatopil, and spent the last eight years of his life in Braslav (now – Belarus). In 1808, Rabbi Nachman contracted tuberculosis and settled in Uman, where he was buried in 1810. Since then, the city has become a center of Hasidic worship, where they gather from all over the world every Jewish New Year.
