Who goes to Uman for Rosh Hashanah? IDI releases new poll as holiday approaches

A new Israel Democracy Institute poll reveals that 8% of adult Jewish Israelis have visited Rabbi Nachman of Breslov's tomb in Uman at least once. Nearly half of those return every few years, while 22.5% visit annually. The report breaks down visitation by ethnicity and gender, noting that 13% of Mizrahi Jews have visited compared to 5% of Ashkenazi Jews. The pilgrimage continues despite the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia and safety concerns. The article also includes a separate, unrelated item about a deleted IDF video advising haredi draft evaders on how to avoid arrest at Ben-Gurion Airport when traveling to Uman.

A new Israel Democracy Institute poll, conducted throughout July and August 2026, found that 8% of adult Jewish Israelis have visited the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in Uman, Ukraine, at least once in their lives. The data, summarized in a Wednesday report, is part of a larger study edited by Ariel Finkelstein, Shlomit Ravitsky Tur-Paz, and Ya'ari Padan. Of those who have visited, nearly half return once every few years, while 22.5% visit at least once a year. The report also breaks down visitation by ethnicity: 13% of Mizrahi Jews have visited compared to only 5% of Ashkenazi Jews and 4% of those with mixed backgrounds. Among women who have visited, only 23% did so during Rosh Hashanah, with the remainder visiting at other times of the year. The pilgrimage continues despite the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia and safety concerns. The article also includes a separate, unrelated item about a deleted IDF video advising haredi draft evaders on how to avoid arrest at Ben-Gurion Airport when traveling to Uman.