Uman Pilgrimage or Prison: Haredi Men Face Hard Choice on Rosh Hashana
IDF prepares to arrest Haredi men avoiding military service during annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to Uman. Religious leaders warn followers as tensions rise over draft exemptions.
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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are preparing to detain Haredi men who have ignored draft orders as they attempt to leave the country for the annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to Uman, Ukraine, according to Hebrew media reports.
Every year, tens of thousands of Breslov Hasidim travel to the central Ukrainian city to pray at the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, the 18th-century spiritual leader who founded the Hasidic movement’s Breslov branch. But this year, the journey has become a flashpoint in Israel’s heated debate over military conscription.
Ynet reported that senior Breslov rabbis have issued a rare call urging their followers who face outstanding draft orders to avoid traveling. The rabbis warned that those arrested en route may opt to accept army service rather than risk imprisonment.
“The draft decree is a decree of annihilation,” one letter stated, cautioning adherents not to “fall into the trap” set for them.
Military police are expected to be stationed at Ben Gurion Airport and other border crossings in the coming weeks to enforce the law. Under Israeli regulations, those evading conscription cannot legally leave the country.
The pilgrimage itself remains a major priority for Haredi leaders, who have pressed the government to allocate millions of shekels in subsidies to facilitate travel via Moldova amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Reports suggest some NIS 10 million ($3 million) in funding has already been requested.
The standoff highlights the growing strain over Haredi military exemptions. Around 80,000 ultra-Orthodox men are now of conscription age. With the IDF warning of a manpower crisis, political pressure is mounting to roll back decades of special arrangements.
For the Haredi community, however, the draft is seen as an existential threat to religious life. Leaders are pushing to enshrine blanket exemptions into law, while government officials weigh how to balance the army’s needs against one of Israel’s most sensitive domestic issues.