Ahead of the annual mass pilgrimage to Uman for Rosh Hashanah, the management of Uman Breslev Union is carrying out routine maintenance and repairs at the complex around Rabbi Nachman of Breslov’s grave. Typical work includes replacing light fixtures and repainting, and in past years it has usually been done by local Ukrainian workers.
This year, however, a group of Breslov Hasidim volunteered to do the work themselves. They traveled to Uman specifically to serve Rabbi Nachman with their own hands and completed the maintenance using only Jewish labor. The volunteers even asked to replace all the flooring in the shrine halls.
Union officials described the effort as an act of real self-sacrifice, noting that the volunteers were told in advance the work would only be useful briefly, for about two to three months at most. That is because the entire shrine complex is slated for reconstruction after the holidays, once the final approvals are received from the authorities.
The union has been working around the clock for the past year on plans to rebuild and extensively renovate the entire site from the ground up. They say the volunteer work was still welcome because it helps prepare the shrine for the tens of thousands expected to arrive for Rosh Hashanah 5787. In recent days, union chairman Rabbi Natan Ben Nun visited the site, inspected the renovations, and gave instructions to workers and volunteers on how to continue the work efficiently.
