Author Topic: Israel shocked as revered rabbi’s grave in Ukraine desecrated (Read 6394 times)

Nevski · « **on:** December 21, 2016, 01:18:40 PM »

A Jewish pilgrimage site in Ukraine has been desecrated, sparking shock in Israel. The grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov was defaced by red paint and a pig head with a swastika carved in it, while some pilgrims were reportedly attacked with tear gas.

https://www.rt.com/news/371121-ukraine-rabbi-grave-desecrated/

The malicious act occurred in the Ukrainian town of Uman on Tuesday night, the sexton of the synagogue, Rabbi Yisrael Elhadad, told the Ynet news website. There were five or six worshipers at the site when two attackers arrived and sprayed them with tear gas, he said. Two people were taken to hospital for treatment after the attack.

Pictures from the scene show red paint that looks like blood smeared across the floor and walls of the synagogue. Several pieces of pig, including a head with a swastika carved in it, were left behind by the assailants. Elhadad described them as neo-Nazis and said they were shouting anti-Semitic slogans during the attack.

No arrests were immediately made after the incident, which local police are investigating as an act of hooliganism, Ukrainian TV news channel 112 reported. Israeli officials and politicians have expressed outrage over the anti-Semitic attack and demanded a thorough investigation.

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, head of the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party, said he would contact Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to urge him to “act swiftly act against the hooligans and increase security.”

“I was shocked to the very core to hear of the terrible and barbaric desecration that was done last night at the holy site of Rabbi Nachman from Bratslav,” he said, according to Israel’s Channel 2.

Yesh Atid Party Chairman Yair Lapid has urged the Ukrainian Ambassador in Israel, Gennadiy Nadolenko, to investigate the incident and demanded that the Ukrainian government act quickly to ensure the security of the many Jewish pilgrims in Uman.

“I was shocked this morning to hear about the sickening and violent anti-Semitic attack, which occurred at the grave-site of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav,” Lapid said as cited by the Jerusalem Post. He described the incident as “unacceptable and reminiscent of the darkest days of the history of the Jewish people in Europe.”

Atid said he expects the Ukrainian government to condemn the incident.

Rabbi Nachman, founder of the Breslov sect of Hasidism, was born in the city of Medzhybizh in 1772 and died in 1810 in Uman. About 150,000 people visit his grave every year, according to the Jerusalem Post, with attendance peaking during the Jewish New Year. The pilgrims are a major source of income for the small city with about 85,000 residents.

Zelhar · « **Reply #1 on:** December 21, 2016, 03:40:00 PM »

Uman is a rather backward god forsaken place. I think the Jewish ~~pillgrims~~ morons who visit there constitute a great portion of the tourists to that place providing the locals with a reliable stream of revenues. I am just stating the obvious but I guess some of the locals there don't have much of a business sense.

Binyamin Yisrael · « **Reply #2 on:** December 21, 2016, 03:41:40 PM »

This is the Russia/Former Soviet Union you love so much. Now do you understand why Russia and its neighbors are so Anti-Semitic, Anti-Israel, and Pro-Arab? Russia supports the Syrian and Iranian Muslim Nazis and the North Korean Communist Nazis.

Nevski · « **Reply #3 on:** December 21, 2016, 04:06:49 PM »

Quote from: Binyamin Yisrael on December 21, 2016, 03:41:40 PM

This is the Russia/Former Soviet Union you love so much. Now do you understand why Russia and its neighbors are so Anti-Semitic, Anti-Israel, and Pro-Arab? Russia supports the Syrian and Iranian Muslim Nazis and the North Korean Communist Nazis.

Russia has much more to offer. Russia and Putin supporting Assad in this war created by the US? Oh yes! I wish more did so!

Israel Chai · « **Reply #4 on:** December 21, 2016, 05:05:04 PM »

Quote from: Nevski on December 21, 2016, 04:06:49 PM

Russia has much more to offer. Russia and Putin supporting Assad in this war created by the US? Oh yes! I wish more did so!

Russia is training and arming every muslim terrorist group they can, they aren't the friend of anything alive.

That's an oversimilification. Obama made ISIS by leaving behind tanks and weaponry, and a few other sometimes-ISIS sometimes-friendly-rebels terrorist groups by air dropping tons of weapons on them. But a few of those wre made by themsevles.

Nevski · « **Reply #5 on:** December 21, 2016, 06:06:48 PM »

Quote from: Israel Chai on December 21, 2016, 05:05:04 PM

Russia is training and arming every muslim terrorist group they can, they aren't the friend of anything alive.

That's an oversimilification. Obama made ISIS by leaving behind tanks and weaponry, and a few other sometimes-ISIS sometimes-friendly-rebels terrorist groups by air dropping tons of weapons on them. But a few of those wre made by themsevles.

Sure.

Zelhar · « **Reply #6 on:** December 21, 2016, 06:33:11 PM »

This happened in the Ukraine why are you talking about Russia?

Nevski · « **Reply #7 on:** December 21, 2016, 06:37:23 PM »

Quote from: Zelhar on December 21, 2016, 06:33:11 PM

This happened in the Ukraine why are you talking about Russia?

Ask Binyamin Yisrael. Seems like you don't realy read the comments.

Lisa · « **Reply #8 on:** December 21, 2016, 08:06:34 PM »

I don't think any Jews should go to the Ukraine regardless of whose grave they're visiting.

For that matter, I don't think Jews should go on tours to Poland to see Auschwitz. I keep saying it to the women I work with. And they say "But it really hits home when you're actually there, and you make good friends, blah blah blah."

cjd · « **Reply #9 on:** December 21, 2016, 08:23:12 PM »

Quote from: Lisa on December 21, 2016, 08:06:34 PM

I don't think any Jews should go to the Ukraine regardless of whose grave they're visiting.

For that matter, I don't think Jews should go on tours to Poland to see Auschwitz. I keep saying it to the women I work with. And they say "But it really hits home when you're actually there, and you make good friends, blah blah blah."

By going to places like that brings tourist money in... Unless a good part of that money is going to Jewish Charities why support the descendants of the people who ran the camps... It hit's home enough even when it's watched on PBS television.

Zelhar · « **Reply #10 on:** December 21, 2016, 08:28:26 PM »

If it really have this influence then perhaps they should go. And anyway their choice is probably going to Poland or to another more regular tourist destination. And I don't think the Poles or the Ukrainians of the present are any worse or better than most other nationalities, lets say French, Mexicans, Indians, basically most non-muslim nationalities.

Quote from: Lisa on December 21, 2016, 08:06:34 PM

I don't think any Jews should go to the Ukraine regardless of whose grave they're visiting.

For that matter, I don't think Jews should go on tours to Poland to see Auschwitz. I keep saying it to the women I work with. And they say "But it really hits home when you're actually there, and you make good friends, blah blah blah."

Binyamin Yisrael · « **Reply #11 on:** December 21, 2016, 10:31:20 PM »

Quote from: Nevski on December 21, 2016, 06:37:23 PM

Ask Binyamin Yisrael. Seems like you don't realy read the comments.

Chaim said Russia and Ukraine are just as bad which is why he doesn't take sides when Russia annexed part of Ukraine.

Nevski · « **Reply #12 on:** December 22, 2016, 04:27:01 AM »

Quote from: Binyamin Yisrael on December 21, 2016, 10:31:20 PM

Chaim said Russia and Ukraine are just as bad which is why he doesn't take sides when Russia annexed part of Ukraine.

I do believe it's a good thing he didn't chose side. For me, I believe that the Ukraine and Russia should solve their issues themselfs. The only reason why the US and the EU are involved is they want war with Russia and like to install their missles close as possible to the Russian border.

Zelhar · « **Reply #13 on:** December 22, 2016, 05:06:21 AM »

It is still bad that Russia expands its reach and power. The Ukraine is a peaceful country with good trade and diplomatic relations with Israel. Maybe lots of Ukrainians still hate Jews, but as a relatively weak independent nation they are not even going to try hurting the Jewish nation, since they have more important self interests. In THIS day and age, ONLY islamic nations prioritize killing Jews and Jihad against the infidels above the common well being of their populous.

But Russia is a powerful nation and not particularly friendly. I don't want them to increase their world influence especially not in the middle east. So I support, at least morally, the Ukraine, and hope they can resist the Russian imperialism and keep the Russians busy and less capable of projecting power in the middle east.

Not everything bad that can happen to a once historic enemy of the Jews is immediately good. Now Germany and all of western Europe are facing an islamic takeover, is that good for anyone who is half decent?

Quote from: Binyamin Yisrael on December 21, 2016, 10:31:20 PM

Chaim said Russia and Ukraine are just as bad which is why he doesn't take sides when Russia annexed part of Ukraine.

Nevski · « **Reply #14 on:** December 22, 2016, 05:35:46 AM »

Quote from: Zelhar on December 22, 2016, 05:06:21 AM

It is still bad that Russia expands its reach and power. The Ukraine is a peaceful country with good trade and diplomatic relations with Israel. Maybe lots of Ukrainians still hate Jews, but as a relatively weak independent nation they are not even going to try hurting the Jewish nation, since they have more important self interests. In THIS day and age, ONLY islamic nations prioritize killing Jews and Jihad against the infidels above the common well being of their populous.

But Russia is a powerful nation and not particularly friendly. I don't want them to increase their world influence especially not in the middle east. So I support, at least morally, the Ukraine, and hope they can resist the Russian imperialism and keep the Russians busy and less capable of projecting power in the middle east.

Not everything bad that can happen to a once historic enemy of the Jews is immediately good. Now Germany and all of western Europe are facing an islamic takeover, is that good for anyone who is half decent?

Soon Ukraine will eb a puppet of the US and the EU. Also Ukraine will suffer under Islam and the Jewish population will face a hard time there.

Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks · « **Reply #15 on:** December 25, 2016, 11:41:00 PM »

Israel may be shocked but I'm not.

Israel Chai · « **Reply #16 on:** November 15, 2017, 03:53:40 PM »

Let my Rabbi go! http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/237982

Fully support this movement, I'm iffy about helping every dead person make aliyah, but in this case, the benefits vastly outweigh the one opinion that doing that could be an issue.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/237698

Rebbe Nachman coming to Israel?

Israeli government reportedly discussing with Ukraine possibility of bringing Hassidic leader's remains to Israel.
Contact Editor
David Rosenberg, 06/11/17 09:17

Burial site of Rabbi Nachman in Uman
Burial site of Rabbi Nachman in UmanUzi Baruch

Will one of the world’s most popular Jewish pilgrimage sites be relocated to Israel?

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, founder of the Breslov Hassidic movement, was buried in the Ukrainian town of Uman 207 years ago.

Followers of Rebbe Nachman made regular pilgrimages to his tomb, though the annual tradition was largely abandoned during the Cold War.

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991and the end of the Cold War, however, led to a resurgence in the traditional Rosh Hashana visits to Uman, which by the early 2000s began to draw wider appeal even beyond the Breslov movement.

The Uman pilgrimage drew a record 40,000 participants this September, up from some 30,000 in 2016.

Since the 1990s, some members of the Breslov movement have advocated relocating Rebbe Nachman’s remains to Israel, home to the world’s largest Breslov community, reinterring them in Jerusalem.

Yet no concrete efforts to do so were made for the first quarter century since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Recently, however, Israeli Foreign Ministry officials have opened discussions with their Ukrainian counterparts to examine the possibility of reinterring Rebbe Nachman’s remains in the Holy Land.

According to a report by Army Radio Monday morning, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely instructed Israeli diplomats to discuss the issue with Ukrainian leaders.

While Ukrainian officials did not reject the proposal out of hand, journalist Shiloh Fried said that Kiev was hesitant to make a decision.

“The Ukrainians aren’t rushing to give us answer on this.”

Jewish pilgrims visiting Uman have become a major source of foreign currency in the region, and Israeli officials are skeptical the Ukrainian government will accede to Israel’s request without an attractive compensation package.

Rabbi Aryeh Lippo, a member of the Breslov movement involved in talks to bring the rabbi’s remains to Israel, said that given the distribution of Breslov Hassidim, the move made sense.

“It’s illogical for half of Israel to leave the country every Rosh Hashana.”