Each year tens of thousands of Jews flock to the Ukraine to visit cities including Uman, Mezibuz, and Berdichev where righteous tzaddikim (pious rabbis) lived and are buried. As things stand now, two and half weeks after a full-scale Russian invasion into the Ukraine, no one knows when in the future it will be safe for Jews to visit or return to the Ukraine.
How much longer will the Ukraine be a war zone and be unsafe both to residents and visitors? Once the current war ends will it be possible to visit the grave/kever of Rebbe Nachman in Uman for Rosh Hashana and other times of year? Who will occupy Ukraine? Will they encourage Jewish tourists and visitors? In addition to praying for the well fare of the Ukrainian People and and an end to the war, these are questions many are thinking about as battles all over the Ukraine rage on.
Just so our readers understand, much of the Ukraine is very rural just as it is was two and three hundred years ago.
Already by November 2021 the Russians had started to mount troops on the Ukrainian border and there was concern war could break out at any point. Nonetheless, even with the threat of war, trips from Israel to the Ukraine during Chanukah 2021 came to pass as scheduled. Three members of the Miller family were on one of these trips to the Ukraine in late November.
The Baal Shem Tov, Rebbe Levi Yitzchak, Rebbe Nachman and many other great Ukrainian rabbis have had an immeasurable influence on Rebbetzin Batya and Rav Shalom Miller. These Hassidic “Masters” inspired and reinvigorated Ashkanazi Jewry in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Travelling to the Ukraine has been something the Miller Family, who run Oro Shel Adam – an Aliyah outreach Org., has been discussing for a long time.
Between November 28th and December 2nd, 2021 Rebbetzin Batya travelled with her two daughters Tiferet and Emuna on a memorable trip to the Ukraine.
They spent four wonderful days exploring, discovering, praying, studying, and bonding at the holy burial sites of many great Hassidic Masters in the Ukraine. The Millers and their organized group spent the first two days in Uman at Rebbe Nachman’s grave. From Uman, they stopped off at Rebbe Natan’s (Sternhartz) grave in Breslov. They spent their third night in Mezibuz, near the grave of Rav Yisrael Baal Shem Tov (Besh”t), the forerunner of the Hassidic movement. There are many other rabbis and righteous Jews buried next to the Besh”t in Mezibuz. Before heading to Boryspil International Airport in Kiev to board the flight back to Israel, the final stop of the four day trip was in Berdichev, where Rebbe Levi Yitzchak is buried. Berichev, is considered to be one of the fastest growing Jewish communities in Ukraine.
The Miller ladies returned to Adam with great excitement and inspiration. Rebbetzin Batya remarked, “It was such a powerful experience, I’m looking forward to going back but this time bringing the entire family to Mezibuz to the grave of the holy Baal Shel Tov.”
Unfortunately, it remains to be seen if and when that will be possible.
Was this the final opportunity to visit Ukraine?
We hope and pray to the All-Mighty that the war in the Ukraine will end soon and that peaceful coexistence between Russia and its neighboring country will be restored.
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