Breslev Hassidim: No More Uman, Time for Jerusalem!

While tens of thousands Hasidims are in Uman praying at the grave site of Rabbi Nachman, there is a group of Hassidim who declare that Uman is irrelevant, Rabbi Odesser was a spiritual continuation of Rabbi Nachman and Rosh Hashana should be spent in Jerusalem.

A group of Breslev Hassidim, who's leader Rabbi Nachman of Breslev is buried in the Ukraine town of Uman, are holding prayer sessions and learning at a Jerusalem graveyard during the festival of Rosh Hashanah. The tomb being visited is of Rabbi Yisrael Odesser, a student of Breslev who, according to the Hassidic story, received a message from the late Rabbi Nachman who told him that he should continue his "fire" in this world.

Nachman Cooper, a Breslev Hassid from Los Angeles, explains that Rabbi Nachman himself said "wherever I go, I'm going to the Land of Israel" and so transferring the Hassidic gathering from Ukraine to the Land of Israel is suitable to the ideas promoted by Rabbi Nachman himself. Cooper also relates to the idea of visiting tombs of tzadikim (the righteous) especially on the eve of Rosh Hashana and says that one comes to be inspired, pray to G-d and receive the special spiritual influence from the tzadik.