A Hasidic Jew, draped in his prayer shawl, blows with all his might into a ram’s horn.
In the morning mist, the note seems to merge with the sound of the air raid sirens that have been blaring on and off since the full-scale invasion began 19 months ago.
Menahem Engel, a 45-year-old New Yorker now residing in Safed, northern Israel, traveled over 25 hours to hear this sound alongside his fellow pilgrims.
His face is fatigued after hours of travel to the town of Uman, but his eyes sparkle.
At the heart of Pushkin Street, the epicenter of Jewish life in Uman, hundreds of Jews of all denominations, Orthodox and secular alike, gather around the tomb of Rabbi Nahman, an 18th-century Jewish Hasidic saint from the southern Ukrainian town of Breslev.
The Rabbi is known for his teachings on joy, dance, and song, which form the core of Jewish faith.
He chose to be buried in Uman to accompany the thousands of Jews killed by Cossack-led rebels during a massacre in the 18th century.
During his lifetime, Rabbi Nahman supposedly promised that anyone who visited his tomb, gave to charity, and recited ten psalms would be spared from the fires of hell.
Located two hours' drive south of the Ukrainian capital, #Kyiv, this small town of nearly 90,000 inhabitants hosts the largest Jewish pilgrimage outside of Israel every Rosh Hashanah, also known as Jewish New Year.
Over 35k pilgrims will visit this year.
Traditionally, before the full-scale Russian invasion last year, the journey was by plane to #Kyiv, where hundreds of shuttle buses would shuttle travelers to the pilgrimage site.
Menahem spent some 25 hours to arrive in Uman.
He goes on to explain that he has been coming to Uman since 2007 but skipped the pilgrimage last year due to the Russian invasion.
While Uman is hundreds of kilometers away from the frontlines, it remains a target.
In April, 23 died in a Russian missile strike.
But this year nothing seems to deter Menahem, a father of two who works in an art gallery in Safed.
"In Israel, we can also be attacked at any moment, whether it's rockets, a knife attack, or something else,” he said.
There have been recent tensions between Israel and #Ukraine, and the Ukrainian government has been critical of Israel for not doing enough to help them.
Despite this, Menahem says he is thankful to the Ukrainian government for welcoming them.
The atmosphere in Uman is electric with excitement. The crowded streets are lined with small shops peddling a variety of kosher products.
At the intersection leading to Rabbi Nahman's tomb, a circle of young Hasidic men has kicked off a spirited dance.
The scene carries us back 150 years to a quaint little shtetl – the Yiddish word for a small Jewish town.
