Almost 26,000 Hasidic Jews from 15 countries have gathered in Ukraine's central city of Uman to celebrate the traditional Jewish New Year -- Rosh Hashanah.
The faithful started praying on September 4 at the grave of the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement, Reb Nachman. The prayers will last until the first star appears in the sky to mark the start of the 5774th year, according to the Jewish tradition.
Twelve police officers from Israel and some 400 Ukrainian law-enforcement officers are providing security at the ceremony.
WATCH: Rosh Hashanah Celebrations In Unam (original sound)
Kazakh oligarch Aleksandr Mashkevich, the former chairman of the Eurasian Jewish Congress, and the chairman of the Ukrainian Jewish Congress, Vadim Rabinovich, are also in Uman.
The tradition of marking New Year on Reb Nachman's grave was revived after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
The faithful started praying on September 4 at the grave of the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement, Reb Nachman. The prayers will last until the first star appears in the sky to mark the start of the 5774th year, according to the Jewish tradition.
Twelve police officers from Israel and some 400 Ukrainian law-enforcement officers are providing security at the ceremony.
WATCH: Rosh Hashanah Celebrations In Unam (original sound)
Kazakh oligarch Aleksandr Mashkevich, the former chairman of the Eurasian Jewish Congress, and the chairman of the Ukrainian Jewish Congress, Vadim Rabinovich, are also in Uman.
The tradition of marking New Year on Reb Nachman's grave was revived after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
