On Sunday a new bill was proposed in the Ukrainian
parliament, according to which visitors to the grave of the famous Rabbi
Nachman of Uman will be charged $100 for a day's entrance to the tomb.
Announcements indicate the fee will fund health and
emergency services as well as sanitation in the area, reports Kipa. The bill
has raised an uproar among Breslov hassidim, who have a custom of visiting the
founder of their movement, Rabbi Nachman, on Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new
year).
Travel expenses already make the visit to the grave a
financial burden. Hassidim living in Uman charge that the bill intent is to
fleece the visiting Jews, and has no justification, especially seeing as the
local government does not invest at all in improving or maintaining the site.
Shimon Buskila, director of the "World Breslov Center
in Uman," promised to fight the initiative by all means necessary. Buskila
noted "the bill is a breach of the fundamental laws of human rights and
freedom."
Opposition to the Uman visits
Local anti-Semitism has marred visits to Uman in the past.
In 2011 a group of local Ukrainians organized to protest the
visits to the grave. In 2010 a 19-year-old Israeli was stabbed to death near
Rabbi Nachman's grave. Just last year another Breslov hassid was similarly
beaten brutally near the site.
The custom of visiting the Uman grave has been met by Jewish
opposition as well. One branch of Breslov hassidim declared in 2010 that its
members would stay in Jerusalem for Rosh Hashanah, visiting the grave of Rabbi
Nachman's student, Rabbi Yisrael Odesser, instead.
Furthermore, Rabbi Avi Zarki, a Tel Aviv rabbi who has been
dubbed “the celebrity rabbi" for his high-profile connections, declared
last year “it’s forbidden to travel to Uman on Rosh Hashanah, period."
"Who said it was allowed to leave the land of
Israel?" added Rabbi Zarki. "Who allowed running away from one’s
family, wife and children on Rosh Hashanah… What kind of holiday meal will the
children have if their father is out of the country?”
Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon called for Rabbi
Nachman's grave to be moved to Israel back in 2011.
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