Uman, Ukraine – As 25,000 Bratslav Chassidim descended on the Ukrainian town of Uman last week to celebrate Rosh Hashanah at the grave of their rebbe, Rav Nachman, an unprecedented row broke out over the authorities’ demands for money.
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The Rebbe Nachman Foundation complained to Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko that the Chassidim are being required to pay some $22,000 to the Uman water company to supply and purify water, $1,700 to sanitation inspectors, $3,200 for gas and $8,300 for rubbish collection services.
They are also being required to pay $1,666 in taxes, which, according to the lawyers, is supposed to cover fees that flat owners who rent out their properties to the Chassidim avoid paying.
In previous years, the lawyers admit, they paid the fees, in cash.
“But this year, there is the credit crunch, and second, some of our donors have died. We want to pay reasonable amounts, and we want receipts,” said spokesperson Marina Goncharuk.
The trip organizers say the tax authorities have no right to demand these payments from tourists, and that the electricity and gas expenses should be paid according to the meter. There was also conflict with the police force, which secures the Chassidim.
“We got a bill for $77,000. In the past, it was $30,000. Why has the price gone up so much? We could have hired a private security firm for a third of the price, but the private services are afraid to compete with the police, in order not to lose their license,” said Ms Goncharuk.
The police did not deny that there was a “charity contribution” meant to cover the police’s expenses, but did not confirm the terms of the agreement. Neither Prime Minister Timoshenko nor the Uman municipality responded to the claims.
Meanwhile, billionaire Alexander Mashkevitch — who last year contributed $3 million to have a lien on Rabbi Nachman’s grave lifted after a contractor sued the Bratslavers for non-payment for his work — called on the Ukrainian Parliament to recognise the pilgrimage as an annual event.
This would enable infrastructure to be developed that would help the small town host tens of thousands of visitors each Rosh Hashanah. Mr Mashkevitch also called on the authorities to stop cutting off water, electricity and gas for the Chasidim during the festival.
Mayor Yuri Bodrov, who attended Mr Mashkevitch’s press conference, said that the visitors were asked to pay the expenses because the town had no other way of paying such large sums.
Ms Goncharuk said that the parties had agreed that in the future, the municipality will tax the airlines, bus companies and others who make money from the annual pilgrimage, to cover some of the communal expenses.
But Josef Zissels, the chair of the Va’ad umbrella group of Jewish organisations in Ukraine remained skeptical. “Each year the Chassidim leave $25-$30 million in Uman. But despite that each year there is chaos, even when they pay everything demanded of them.
“This year they don’t have the money, so the chaos will be even greater.”
Seriously, what do you expect by going to a country whose people slaughtered your own people a generation ago!
The Bratslav should either relocate the Rav’s remains to EY or simply stay home and daven to hashem from EY and invoke his yichus from afar. This mishugaas of chassidim spending tens of millions of dollars at a time when so many are hurting economically to charter private jets and travel thousands of miles to ther rav’s kever should end. Let the goyim spend money they don’t have for pilgrimages to shrines to their saints. Yiddin don’t need to do this any more.
Maybe if they don’t go for a year or two then the locals will realize how much they are losing out and enter into a fair agreement. I realize that is would be a sacrifice for those for whom the trip is so important, but if not, the situation with the local authorities may get worse every year.
There is a real, very painful solution. The Breslaver Chasidim should take A ONE YEAR VACATION and announce that next year there will be no pilgrimage. Boy o boy will that change attitudes fast, for decades!!!!
Spend Rosh Hashana in Eretz Yisrael and spend the millions to feed Aniyei Eretz Yisroel instead of wasting it on Ukranian thugs.
next year they should boycott Umann, and then hear what the state has to say when they lose all their projected revenue,,, alas,, it will never happen,, but the thought of it is cool,, no??
Obviously you don’t understand the rebbe/chosid relationship.. One can’t if they don’t have a rebbe. Nunu
They are also being required to pay $1,666 in taxes, which, according to the lawyers, is supposed to cover fees that flat owners who rent out their properties to the Chassidim avoid paying.
that makes no sense why not go after the flat owner
the whole thing is a fraud anyways, waste of money and time
Maybe just send a small faction to Uman next year (there is no way it would ever be boycotted).
come to spend money to CH
770 is the place to be!!!!!!!!!!!
They are fightihg on a 1600 tax bill?
Let them come to NYC for one day.
When I lived in the Ukraine and people would come visit, I would emphatically tell them not to tip too much as the Ukrainians would expect that much, plus more the next time around. My theory was based on what was happening at the time in Uman, which kept getting worse and worse…
I was happy to hear that the smart Jews were once again ripped off by the dumd goyim. I hope next year they rip them off even more. maybe some day these fools will stop going to that Ukranium gehenum and spend their money in EY or give it to a good Tzakah instead of wasting it at the Rebbi’s grave. He is in Gan Eden, not in a grave in the Jew hating Ukraine. Wake Up Yedin!
in my humble opinion if everyone going to uman lizhensk and meiron took the money it cost and gave it to aneyei yisroel hashem would answer their tifilos wherever they are and probably faster and better too bec that is for sure the ratzon of the creator but if they go to these places not to do his will but bec they want to do what they wanna do kol hakavod but don’t expect good answers for your tefilos I am serious I mean every word I said if anyone can seriosly explain otherwise please do
the people should pay – this is what they get for abadoning their wives and children back home for a rosh hashana hippe fest
Unfortunately to all of you who never got to taste what it means to be close to Tzadik emes you’re never going to understand the ones that did.
I was never a chosid myself but was given the opportunity to go Reb Nachmen 5 years ago and boy did it change my life, I started davening with minyen, I stopped doing lots of bad things and started to feel close to Hashem. And don’t think its just me as its thousands of yidden that come there that went through the same experience and there is good reason 30,000 yidden come year after year after year.
Now for those who keep on saying send reb Nachmen to Israel, well to be honest he asked to be buried only in Uman which is a good hour from his hometown in Breslov.
The reason was because the entire village was killed one night and he felt he should be with them.
For those who think you should rather go to israel. Well Reb Nachmen promised to help each and every yid that comes to his grave on Rosh Hashona, name me another Tzadik to promised it.
And for those who claim that why spend all this money, well where else should you spend if not on your Nashoma? After all its the only thing you’ll take with you after the 120 you might aswell have a clean one and one to make Hashem proud…
I can still hear the songs from Uman and brings a smile to my face…Uman Uman Uman Uman Rosh Hashona…
My dear brothers!
It’s Aseres Yemei Teshuvah now! kindly refrain from expressing your comments about Uman Rosh Hashana, a matter which we have no slight idea what it’s all about. The Pirkei Uvus says Haveh Zohir Begachalton, beware commenting against words or will of a Tzadik. I personally know painful stories of people who spoke openly against Rabbi Nachman Z”L. I’m not C”V cursing any one, all I’m saying is refrain from saying anything against, and if you did just do Teshuvah. Rabbi Nachman Z”L said if you believe you could do damage so believe that you could fix the damage you have done. Hesehm Loves every Yid, and he’s forgiving for those who express remorse. Rabbi Nachman Z’L strongly encouraged his followers to spend each Rosh Hashana with him in the town of Uman. Hundreds of followers would gather for the holiday prayer service, festive meals, and special Torah lessons taught by the Rebbe. When asked why Rosh Hashana was so significant, Rebbe Nachman explained, “My Rosh Hashana is greater than everything. I cannot understand how it is that if my followers really believe in me, they are not all scrupulous about being with me for Rosh Hashana. No one should be missing! Rosh Hashana is my whole mission.” “Even those who I can’t be Metaken throughout the year, Rosh Hasanah if they come to me will get a full Tikun”
Wishing you a sweet, and healthy year.
Kesivah Vechasimah Tovah.
Even if you include the exorbitant police sum, we are still only talking $120,000 in this article. If there are “tens of thousands” as reported here, we are looking at under $12 a person to cover the infrastructure costs. Sorry, but if you are willing to spend millions on accommodations, food, etc (not to mention leaving your family behind for the chagim!) then it is your acraiyut to eat the infrastructure costs as well- and as the people in charge, whether you like it or not, the locals can set those prices. It is a case of supply and demand- they have what the chassidim want, and know they can ask pretty much any price and still get it.
I had the z’chus to be in Uman this Rosh Hahannah. There is no single address for the organisers or the visitors. Many, maybe even most, people buy flights online from various airlines, and only arounnd half of all people take the expensive Israeli charter flights, which are already around 800 to 1000 USD for a 2.5hr flight, which is a lot. There is no request to pay anything to any kind of organising committee or anything like that.
An idea could be to copy, l’havdil, what happens at rock festivals and conventions, whereby you need a wrist band to get in to the main area. This could work, as there are guard at all access points to the Kloiz / Tzion / Rav Shik’s shul / Pushkina Street area. The fee could be a small sum like $20, which would cover town bills, street cleaning, upkeep of the grave and other costs. this way everybody contributes his share of the costs of the Holy kibbus in Uman at Rosh Hashannah.
For all you who say “don’t go”, this has no weight, since the people who advise going to be by Rebbe Nachman at R.H, e.g the Rebbe himself and reb Nosson, are of great stature.
Gmar chasima tova
They spend $30 million and kvetch about $70,000?
i just don’t get the problem here. what’s the big deal for 25,000 people to pay a total of 100,000 expenses that’s just 4 dollars per person.
Follow Yosef the Tzaddik… move Rabbi Nachman’s bones to Eretz Yisroel!
i don’t know the halachos, but maybe it should be examined whether the kever could be moved to eretz yisroel. It is crazy to think that all of that money is spent on goyim.
At the same time, it is clear that there is something special about going to Rebbe Nachman’s kever on RH. I have heard too many stories about how people were touched when the went to the kever for RH.
whats wrong with davening to hashem without reb nachman like most normal people? its worked 4 millions why is that all u guys are busy with on such a holy day?hashem could also be mesaken your sins
There needs to be diplomatic negotiations with the highest level of Ukranian politics after Tishrei to organize the level of payments to the local authorities.
It is human nature to try an take financial advantage of such a large group of tourists who take over a city annually
Bresalver Chassidim should continue to go to Uman but their leadership should put this mess in order as quickly as possible