Jewish pilgrims journey to Ukraine, from one war to another

Like thousands of other pilgrims, Rony Eli-Ya travelled from his home in Israel to the Ukrainian city of Uman this week for Rosh Hashanah, one of the most important holidays in the Jewish calendar.

The city has been a site of worship for over 200 years, but with Russia's ongoing invasion and airlines cancelling flights due to rising tensions in the Middle East, the journey has become even harder.

With Iran having fired ballistic missiles at Israel, whose soldiers were involved in clashes with militant group Hezbollah in south Lebanon, Eli-Ya said he was not sure how he would return to his home near Tel Aviv.

"We now feel that we will not be able to return to Israel at all," the 37-year-old said.

This year, more than 30,000 Orthodox Jewish pilgrims are thought to have congregated in Uman, home to the burial place of Hasidic Jewish leader Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.

Crowds of pilgrims lined the streets of the small city some 300 kilometres (190 miles) from the frontline, many of them reciting prayers and wearing kippahs or hats.

"We feel war here, and there," said Eli-Ya, who said he goes to Uman every year.

"But we believe that every missile has its address," he said. "If it should fall near me, it's destiny."

- 'Holy day' -

A current Israeli soldier, who wished to remain anonymous, told AFP he was visiting on leave.

"The commander gave me 72 hours to go to Ukraine for the celebration and to go back to fight," he said. "This is a holy day for us."

"So far, more than 30,000 pilgrims have already arrived in Uman," Iryna Rybnytska from the Historical Cultural Center of Uman told AFP. "But the exact number will be known tomorrow."

A large number of police and ambulances were dispatched for the two-day holiday, which marks the Jewish New Year.

For the third year running, authorities had asked the pilgrims not to come, pointing out that their gatherings violate the war-time restrictions that Ukrainians have to follow.

This year 16 Israeli police officers arrived in Uman to help maintain order, police spokeswoman Zoya Vovk told AFP.

"They help translate and convey information from the Ukrainian police to the pilgrims," she said.

"This includes information about compliance with curfew rules, compliance with air raid siren rules, and other issues that need to be communicated to pilgrims," she added.

In April last year, a Russian missile strike on an apartment block in the city killed 23 people.

But Eli-Ya said he was not afraid.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," he said -- except God.

"I'm afraid of God," he added.