After many years of thousands of Jewish visitors flocking to Uman for Rosh Hashanah, the Uman municipality made a decision that every visitor will have to pay a ‘tourist tax’, Kikar H’Shabbat reported. The municipality set up a stand where the tax can be paid with a sign stating: “This is the service station for paying the tourist tax. Tourists (pilgrims) are obligated to pay a tourist tax in order to have legal status in Uman.” In recent days, municipality inspectors accompanied by local police have been knocking on doors on Pushkina Street, which leads to Rav Nachman’s kever, and requesting receipts for the tax, as well as stopping passerby on the street and requesting receipts. The tourist tax is 300 Ukrainian hryvnias ($11.11) per day, which adds up to 900 hryvnias ($33.34) for those who come just for the days of Rosh Hashanah. The Uman municipality has warned that anyone who fails to pay the tax will be prosecuted. Breslover Rabbanim sent letters to their chassidim instructing them to pay the tax, stating: “As of now, there is nothing to do because the decision has already been made.” Rav Yaakov Jan, the Rav of Uman, published a letter stating: “Whoever fails to pay will create difficulties that none of us can withstand at this time and place.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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