| According to the Kaqchikel annals, he was slain by Spanish Conquistador Don Pedro de Alvarado while waging battle against the Spaniards in the grasslands of El Pinal (Valley of Olintepeque) on February 20, 1524.He was declared Guatemala's official national hero on March 22, 1960 and is commemorated on February 20, on the anniversary of his death.The most popular legend says that during the battle against the Spaniards, his spiritual guide (his nahual), a quetzal bird, accompanied him.It is also said that if one were to be put into captivity, it would die.Tekun Uman is also mentioned in the novel Home Killings by Marcos McPeek Villatoro.This page was last modified 17:19, 13 December 2007.All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.Get Your Weather Sticker!Why not create your own?The Weather Underground has teamed up with Ambient Weather, Weather Display and Weather View 32 to build a network of weather stations across the globe.Uman
You Are Here is the friendly, reassuring title of Uman's latest
release.But the concept immediately became something
grander."For each track we had a place in mind."With track titles like "N'doly
or the Mother Land," "A Night in a Holy Place," and "Human Warmth in a
Cold City," Uman were less interested in portraying specific places and
more concerned with the journey of life.The name Uman comes from a Native
American word, umane, which means "Earth force."The duo has built
up a worldwide following with their lush blend of electronics, samples
of world musics, and Danielle's eerie, often wordless vocals.Their initial success came among fans of New Age music, even though, as
Didier points out, "when our first CD was released, in 1992, we didn't
even know that New Age music existed!We had composed this music
without knowing that a family existed on the other side of the
ocean."American CD, Purple Passage, on
Six Degrees Records two years ago.Uman's earlier
songs, come to the fore in several tracks on the new CD ("Free Uman
Walking", "The Way to Peace" ).It is more than an influence.It is a way to see Life."And on
You Are Here, the group also collaborates with the French novelist and
poet Anne Mirman.The album's other twelve tracks
use Danielle's voice as an instrument."Music puts you in a mood and
you make the tale."Music, art, and poetry are all part of the
Uman package.So are the sounds of the earth, and its human
inhabitants.He also tapes
the sounds of Asian and African percussion instruments and, in the case
of "N'doly or the Mother Land," uses a traditional African nursery
rhyme performed by Moussa Dialo as the basis for the whole song.You Are Here is the addition of a sizable group of
guest musicians, whose interpretations and improvisations add to the
record's textural richness.Listening to You
Are Here is like a musical travelogue of real and imaginary lands,
represented by vocal and natural sounds both in their original form and
in often highly altered states.To anyone who's ever needed
to check a map, there's nothing more welcome than the phrase "you are
here."After all, it answers the big question: where am I?Uman's music is just as welcoming and friendly...Something about the Rebbe's promise deeply touched
my heart, and set me on a course which led me to Uman in 1997.Uman, among the
thousands of Jews who had been martyred there.Rebbe Nachman passed
away on the fourth day of Sukkot, October 16, 1810, and, according to
his instructions, was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Uman, Ukraine.From that point on, it became
customary for Breslover Hasidim to try to make the journey at least
once in their lifetime.Uman, Uman, Rosh Hashanah!Breslovers to gather on this holy day.However, at the time I heard about Uman in the 1970's, Ukraine was
part of the Soviet Union, and the Cold War was in full force.It was
almost impossible for anyone to make a pilgrimage to Uman.And so,
for me, traveling to Uman remained but a dream.After the fall of Communism...In 1989, with the fall of Communism, the possibility opened up for
Breslovers to once again openly travel to Uman.Rosh Hashanah with a Breslov community in Brooklyn
that same year.For over a decade I had been reading whatever I could
find about Rebbe Nachman, and felt a very close personal relationship
to his spirit.Then in 1989, because of a speaking engagement on the East Coast the
previous week, it was possible for me to spend Rosh Hashanah with
Breslover Hasidim in New York.This was all the more exciting to me
because, at the time I had first heard of Rebbe Nachman in the 1970's,
I was not even sure that there were still Breslov communities around.During the Nazi time, over 14,000 Jews were deported from Uman to the
camps.So
it took a few decades for the community to recover and begin doing
outreach again.Brooklyn filled with joy and more certain than
ever that Breslov was indeed my path, and that Rabbi Nachman was my
Rebbe.Tikkun K'lali (General Remedy).While in Brooklyn I had learned
that Breslovers try to recite them every day, not just at the Rebbe's
grave.This practice sustained me
through many a crisis!From then on, as I traveled around the country in connection with my
work, I tried to stay with Breslovers whenever possible.Next came my trip to Germany in April 1997.This would be my first trip to Europe and, when I mentioned it Ozer
Bergman (a Breslov internet friend), he immediately suggested that I
should try to make a side trip to Uman.It is a Breslov axiom that as soon as one makes the commitment to go
to Uman (or do any other good deed), obstacles arise from the yetzer
hara (side of negativity) which try to stop you.It is also a Breslov
axiom that one should never give up or allow these obstacles to get
in the way of achieving the goal.The obstacles are really tests which the
yetzer hara throws up to try to discourage us from doing mitzvot
(commandments, good deeds.While in Berlin, I learned that a Dutch translation of my book
Beyond the Ashes would be coming out in the fall of that
same year.Bad Gandersheim, Germany, and also promote the book in
Amsterdam.Europe two weeks before Rosh
Hashanah!The real miracle was the perfect timing.But in 5758 (1997)
it came very late, beginning on the evening of October 1.If I went
to Holland and Germany, I would have two weeks to somehow get myself
to Uman.In my case, I believe these tests played a big part in
cleansing my heart and preparing me for arrival in Uman.But back to my story: I now had a way to get to Europe, which was a
major breakthrough.But I still faced the challenge of getting a visa
to Ukraine.Nowadays you do not have to go all the way to Kiev first,
but there is still a lot of red tape, and the rules change all the time,
so what I'm about to describe may be obsolete tomorrow.Breslover
named David Fried of Nesia Travel in in New York, who was most helpful
in cutting the red tape.Kiev, and there are no hotels in Uman!If they insisted on
this, I might not be able to go...Meanwhile, the United Parcel Service had gone on strike, so I could
not simply trot down to the UPS office in my town to send my passport
off to New York.Ex office was in Duluth, which is 65 miles away.Duluth,
send the passport by express, and hope that it would not get lost in
the huge backlog.In a little over a week, I had my
passport back, along with my visa.In the meantime, I had been
investigating various possibilities for flights from Europe to Kiev.Unfortunately, I was about 2000 frequent flyer miles short from having
a free ticket from KLM Airlines out of Amsterdam.As it turned out, I did need
that extra money because of even more obstacles...Next, I had to figure out what I was going to do for two weeks in
Europe between the end of the conference in Germany and the time my
plane left Paris on September 30th.There are those who would say it is
sheer folly to go to a foreign country with so little cash in hand.Uman, who
is being practical?Europe to
cover the travel costs, but the timing was all wrong, and nothing seemed
to be working out, except for the original invitation to the German
conference.Even that had its moments of panic, because when I got
there, I found out that there had been a big misunderstanding about
my honorarium, and the money was not at the conference.Not the usual
Breslov tune, just those four words.In Stuttgart, another group of Germans invited me to lead a discussion
about my books, then took up a collection to help with my expenses.But on the other hand, I should not expect to make
any profit from this trip.After all, a pilgrimage is for God and not
for business.One rather strange incident gave me a big affirmation that, in spite
of all these problems, I was on the right trail after all.There we were met by some other
people from the Dutch publishing house, along with a man who had read
my book and wanted to meet with me privately.Time was tight, so we
agreed he would drive me to the next place on my schedule, and we could
talk in the car.Nor was this the only time I met people from Uman.In Stuttgart I spent
Shabbos in a hotel next door to the synagogue.There was a bar mitzvah
that week, and everyone was invited to the lunch afterward, so of course
I stayed.German Jewish man whose wife was a Ukrainian Jew from Uman!She told me to be sure to see the Sophia Park because it was very
beautiful.Uman, Uman, Rosh Hashanah!Then it was on to Paris by train to
meet my plane to Kiev.In Paris, more tests and challenges...Finding the plane was a test in itself, because Charles DeGaulle Airport
is really two separate airports, and both are huge.It had been my intent to buy kosher food in Paris to take with me on the
trip because, although I am not a fanatic about it, I prefer a vegetarian
diet.At home we use no meat or fowl in our kitchen.On the road
I'll eat meat to survive, but I much prefer not to.So my plan was to
arrive in Paris, go to the kosher shops, and get my own food to take
with me.So I had better find a hotel
near the airport.Uman, or else
fasting.Which meant I could have stayed at a hotel in the city,
done my shopping, and had plenty of time to make my connection.So
why was I being put through this hassle of going to Uman with no food?It turned out that he was a
farmer, so we had a lot in common.From Kiev to Uman...Upon arrival in Kiev, there was a long, slow line as we went through
passport control and customs.Uman, in an old red bus that ground its gears every time we went up a
hill.At times Daniel and I wondered if the bus was going to make it
all the way to Uman without blowing its transmission.With the collapse of Communism, the Ukrainians are now
free to sell their own goods, but have few ways to market or distribute
their produce.The Breslover Hasidim now own the land where the gravesite is.The
Jewish cemetery was destroyed by the Nazis, but a loyal follower
named Zavel Lubarski had kept track of the exact location of the grave.This was covered with an unmarked slab in
the back yard.There is also a makeshift roof over the
area, and benches for sitting to pray or recite the Psalms.Future
plans include building a more permanent, dignified structure, along
with a synagogue and a mikveh (ritual bath).Yerushalamis
in white knitted skullcaps with a tassel on top.Hasidic groups, and we pride
ourselves on this diversity.Sharing our stories around the table...Had I brought food, I would probably
have just eaten on my own.It is the custom around Rabbi Kramer's table for each person to tell
how he came to Breslov and how he got to Uman.An amazing set of tales
indeed, with Jews from Israel, France, America, South Africa...This they had found in Breslov.Rabbi Kramer said that Breslov is different from the other Hasidic
groups, where one is usually born into it.In the same way, the Rebbe's Hasidim are sometimes born into strange
situations, but when they hear the call of the Rebbe's voice, they
know themselves to be Breslovers.Gedaliah Fleer's book, Rebbe Nachman's Fire which
I found about that same time.Not to mention many personal mystical experiences with
hisboddidus (private prayer) which continued to affirm that I was on
the right path.Living conditions in Uman...There was running water only a couple
hours a day sometimes, so we had to fill buckets in case the water
gave out.Jewish dietary laws), health and
safety.Uman is not that far from Chernobyl, so we were not sure about
drinking the water there.Welcome to the Waldorf Astoria.Life in Uman was primitive, but I was
prepared for all this by the rural conditions that my wife and I are
living under in northern Minnesota.We, too, have had times when the
house was chilly and the plumbing did not work.So Uman was not such
a big adjustment for me as it was for some of the Jews who had come
straight out of the big city.So did the gloves, wool
jacket, and knitted cap.Uman mud is the heavy clay
kind that gets all over everything.Army maneuvers in finding everybody housing, food, etc.At this point in time, only the men make the Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage
because of the total lack of privacy, but during the year, many women
also go on other occasions.It is hoped that someday there will be
hotel accommodations for families to go together, but right now, it
is mostly a men's event.Breslovers believe the whole family benefits if even one
member makes it to Uman.As I said, there are no hotels in Uman.Jews who look like
they just walked out of the 19th century.There had been a
terrorist threat against the U.On the morning after I arrived, I went back to the Rebbe's grave to
join in the morning minyan (prayer quorum).Prayers at the gravesite
were intense and moving.Throughout the Rosh Hashanah gathering, at
any time of the day or night, there is a crowd of Jews praying there,
so that it is impossible to actually see the gravestone from afar.In Uman everything was written in Hebrew because the
majority of participants were Israelis.There was not an English copy
of Tikkun K'lali to be found at the gravesite or anywhere else.Look, you know the content of those
Psalms, even if your Hebrew is not all that great.Although I know Hebrew, it is always a struggle for me to read a text
out loud because of my dyslexia.Daniel and
I went to the Sophia Park, where Rebbe Nachman used to walk when he
lived in Uman.To be in Uman and not go there???Throughout the park, there were Hasidim walking along the trails
and climbing or sitting on the rocks for private meditation.Many
of the Israelis told me how wonderful it was to see all this greenery,
because in Jerusalem, everything is brown and mostly desert.My wife Caryl (Rachel), who loves rocks and stones, had asked me to
bring her back a small stone from Uman.Rebbe himself might have walked.Uman, Uman, Rosh Hashanah!Although I had a seat in the big synagogue, I found myself wandering
from place to place, saying morning prayers in one minyan and
afternoon prayers in another.Jews from all over the world.More than once, somebody remarked to me what a miracle it was to be
there, and how we might be souls of Breslovers from past centuries
who had reincarnated in order to have the mitzvah of travelling to
Uman.Uman, it
was very easy to believe it.Hasidim
pouring down several roads to the river, lining the banks on both
sides to say the special tashlich prayers.It much is easier to throw your sins
away from a great height!Some curious Ukrainians had gathered to watch, and I managed,
using my halting Russian and a Ukrainian phrase book, to exchange
names and wish peace and freedom to a group of young people.Nazis
take the Jews away, and maybe even helped them do it.But I found
the younger generation to be more open and trying to make some kind
of human connection with us.My very few words of Ukrainian were
appreciated, and smiles went a long way, too.There simply was no place
where all 7000 of us could gather under one roof.Daniel and I had not
seen anyone from the French group since we had arrived, and we had no
idea which bus we were to take, or when it would be leaving.Paris group who told us
that the bus would be leaving at 7:00 AM.But at least it seemed to have gotten its gears repaired!From Paris it was
back to Amsterdam for a few more days, and then home to Minnesota.My
wife was eager to hear every detail, and I talked her ear off for the
entire two hours from the airport to our farm.The positive effects of the pilgrimage have been many, some obvious
and some more subtle.Rabbi Kramer told me in Uman that this
experience would change my life forever, and he was right.My family and friends have remarked that I
seem more centered, more at peace with myself.In addition, I feel
even more connected to the Breslov community.Uman, Uman, Rosh Hashanah!Copyright 1997 by Yonassan Gershom
May be reproduced for educational purposes, provided no money is
involved.Want to go to Uman?Virtual Tour of
Rebbenu Nachman's Tzion page maintained by Benyamin Pilant.Breslov
Research Institute's 1991 background info pamphlet, an article
from the New York Times , etc.You might also want to read my 1998 essay concerning
Ecological Awareness on the Uman
Pilgrimage.When so many people descend on a small town,
it can overwhelm the facilities.Maybe I'll even see you there!Go to Gershom's Breslov page
Return to discussion in
Hasidism FAQ
Go to Gershom Homepage
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