Israel’s Health Ministry recorded 1,140 new coronavirus cases over Shabbos. There are currently 22,393 active cases, with 398 patients in serious condition, of whom 119 are ventilated. Ten more deaths were recorded, raising the death toll to 819.
Israel’s coronavirus czar, Prof. Ronni Gamzu spoke about the controversial issue of Israelis traveling to Uman for Rosh Hashanah during an interview on Channel 12 News on Motzei Shabbos.
“Uman is not one of the Tishrei Chagim and is not a devar kodesh,” Gamzu said. “It’s a hillulah or party and it’s not necessary to do it. It can bring us closer to a lockdown. The whole government needs to be firm in order to earn the public’s trust and say to the chassidim – don’t travel during this time to Uman, it will endanger lives in Israel. I’m announcing – there are no flights to Uman – period.”
According to a Ynet report, Gamzu also sent a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urging him to ban gatherings at Rav Nachman’s kever on Rosh Hashanah.
“A gathering of this sort, at such a fraught time can lead to a mass infection of tourists and local Ukrainian residents, causing a heavy burden on local medical systems, while thousands more are expected to come back to Israel and further spread the virus,” Gamzu wrote.
“I urge you to enforce a ban on these celebrations this year, as part of the entire global community’s effort to stop this horrific pandemic.”
Meanwhile, a Ynet report on Thursday said that thousands of Israelis have already booked flights to Ukraine for Rosh Hashanah.
The report said that the Ukrainian government is planning on enforcing strict health regulations for anyone who does visit Uman for Rosh Hashana, such as wearing face masks and social distancing guidelines. Anyone who violates the regulations will be deported and banned from Ukraine for at least three years.
Gamzu also spoke in the interview about the possible lockdown before the Yamim Tovim. “It’s not definite that there will be a lockdown on the Chagim. I believe that it’s possible to decrease the infection rate – there are four weeks until then. I want to avoid a lockdown. It’s true that I presented a possibility of a lockdown but we all need to create the possibility together of preventing it.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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13 Responses
What’s the difference from davening at uman vs an outdoor minyan with a torah? You’re praying at an alleged place of bones. The soul is in Shamayim. Pray to shamayim… doing so outdoors means there is no interruption of ceilings in the way. Let’s all daven harder this year!!!
ISRAEL COVID CZAR: “No Flights To Uman For Rosh Hashanah, Period” Excellent move, because:-
1) Men shall with their families for Simchas Yom-Tov over Rosh-haShono.
2) It shall enable all these men to attend Shul on Yom-Kippur & eat in Sukka, as they now shan’t require 14 day quarantine.
Anyone who violates the regulations will be deported and banned from Ukraine for at least three years. Should be banned for life.
“Is not a devar kodesh…. it’s a hilulla”
??
So glad something good has come out of Cobid19: Less avoda zara.
TERRIBLE!
Think of all the poor Breslev wives who only have a few days of peace in their house when their husbands go to Uman! Now they will have no wonderful quiet and peace for RH…..
SAD……
Gam zu yes this yr also with the help of god we will make it to uman And spent Rosh Hashana by the tzadik and gam zu and Gamzu everyone is invited this yr will be bigger than ever bezrat hashem don’t miss out
I smell a brouhaha brewing in Israel.
enough with these dictators
covid is not a pandemic
What an ignoramus. He obviously has no idea that tens of thousands of yidden draw strength for the whole year. Who is he to ban Jews from leaving Israel and visiting Uman? Is this a communist dictatorship?
If these fools insist on running off to Uman contrary to the public health mandates, they should
be required to stay there until there is a vaccine and then they might be allowed to come back to EY.
BTW, he is legally authorized to ban travel if that will protect public health. Just about every country in the
world has legal provisions to restrict travel to protect its citizens.
This is wonderful news. Going to someone’s grave for Yom Tov is only an avera. Believing that by going one will be pulled out of Gehenom by their peyos is beyond belief. The Torah believes in having a Rebbe but not one who is dead. There has never been a time iwhen Torah observant Jews viewed someone who is dead as their current leader. They believe he is not only their leader he is the main Tzadik and everyone will convert to being a Breslover. Not everything is Elu V’Elu This is why they were banished by all the Tzadikkim of the Ukraine. May Hashem remove this foreign belief from our midst.
@The Truth–Since when do Yidden stop believing in a Tzaddik after he dies? Who is Moshe Rabbeinu? Rebbi Shimon? The Arizal? Why do we go to kivrei Tzadikkim?
There are 3 separate issues.
1) We believe in Toras Moshe. Moshe is Emes and his Torah is Emes.
2) We go to Kivrei Tzaddikim not to pray to the Tzadik chas v’sholem. Instead we believe that the ground where he is buried is Kodesh and therefore davening in such a place aids in the Tefilos being accepted in the merit on the Tzadik buried there.
3) Having a Rebbe. Once a person is dead he can no longer be your Rebbe. The concept of people going to Uman to be with there Rebbe just like other Chasidim go to be with their Rebbe for Yom Tov is an incorrect comparison and frighteningly ignorant. We go to Rabbeim to learn from them. There is nothing to learn from a graveyard. The whole idea of “be with me for Rosh Hashana and I will pull you out of Gehenom” is against everything we hold dear. You are not actually “with” anyone and salvation only comes through Teshuva not travel. We travel to a Tzadik to seek inspiration and guidance about how to do Teshuva,