Rosh Hashana Won’t be in Uman for This Group of 29

By Yehudit Garmaise

Although some Yidden were able to enter Ukraine before Shabbos on Aug. 28, the next day Ukraine announced it was closing the borders due to Covid, and a group of travelers to Uman were not allowed in the country.

According to one of the passengers, who spoke to BoroPark24, the group of 29 Yidden from New York and Israel had an Air France-Paris connection on Friday that was unfortunately cancelled, and the group thought they would be stuck in Charles de Gaulle Airport.

  The Paris airport happens to have a chief rabbi, who graciously gave out kosher food to the group, until several shulchim came to get the Yidden and hosted them in a beautiful Yiddishe community for Shabbos in Paris, which is also currently closed to tourists.

On Sunday, the group flew to Kiev, where the authorities did not allow the Yidden to de-plane, although Air France wanted the Jews to disembark.

The Ukraine authorities wanted the group to return to Paris, but the New Yorkers and Israelis refused, staying on the plane for six and a half hours trying to secure help from the U.S. Embassy.

Finally, the Air France flight took off and landed in Paris, where the group of Yidden were greeted by many officers who escorted the group of travelers into a private room to book them on flights back home.

Although a few of the travelers wanted to fly elsewhere, such as Budapest, the Yidden were told that they were only allowed to return to their homes, where they safely returned.