“Never seen before”: Israel reports record number of Hasidim in Uman

Hasidic pilgrims in Uman. Photo: 18000

The number of Hasidic pilgrims who have arrived in Uman for Rosh Hashanah has reached an all-time high. Israeli police spokesman Maj. Michael Zingerman announced the figure on September 12, 2026.

“As of now, there are 52,000 pilgrims in Uman. The vast majority are Hasidim who came from Israel – about 50,000. We can say this is a record. The number is enormous. We have never seen anything like this in the entire history of the pilgrimage to Uman,” he said.

According to Zingerman, around 42,000–43,000 people came to the city last year.

“Just imagine: Uman has a population of about 75,000, and within a few days another 52,000 people arrive. That number is simply incredible,” he said.

The Israeli police representative said 17 Israeli officers had arrived in Uman to serve alongside Ukrainian law enforcement personnel, and that nearly all of them speak Russian or Ukrainian.

“We have two main tasks. The first is to ensure the safety of all citizens – and, as I constantly emphasize, not only Israeli citizens but also Ukrainian citizens who are here. The second is to maintain a high level of public order, because there are so many people concentrated in such a small area,” the major explained.

Asked why the number of pilgrims had reached a record high despite the ongoing war and the difficulty of traveling to Uman, Zingerman cited two reasons. The first, he said, is the pilgrims’ own religious beliefs.

“The faith of the Hasidim teaches them that even when it is very difficult to reach the place where they are supposed to go, that only reinforces their conviction that they must come here. If getting here were easy, perhaps they would look at it differently. But according to their faith, if it is difficult, if the journey involves serious hardships, then it becomes all the more important for them to come here to Uman and celebrate Rosh Hashanah here,” he said.

The second reason, he said, is the pilgrims’ trust in Ukrainian law enforcement. According to Zingerman, Hasidim who have visited Uman in previous years “see that everything is handled at a very high level, and they have no concerns in that regard about coming to Uman and staying here.”

As previously reported by the UOJ, on the morning of September 12, the United Jewish Community of Ukraine said that 45,000 Hasidic pilgrims had arrived in Uman. The UOJ had earlier reported that the mayor of Uman said: “We weren’t expecting them, and we aren’t expecting them.”

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