Why do people leave Eretz Yisroel to go to Uman for Rosh Hashanah? (It seems to me like leaving America for July Fourth.) In general what is the reason people go: is it Just a festival in the Woodstock sense (as the Israeli Media seems to make it out to be)? Also, why is it that there are no women allowed? Finally, if it is religious, than why do so many irreligious people go there?
Answer
Breslever chasidim leave E"Y to be by our rebbe at Rosh Hashana because he said to come, end of story. Not all Breslevers go - one of the great leaders of Breslev today, R' Elazar Kenig shlita, hosts a gathering in Meron for those who are unable to go. There is no specific issur in Uman. The issues of kivrei tzadikim and leaving E"Y in general are complex and probably should be asked as separate questions.
It is more than a festival, even if some make it out to be that. Bli neder when I am at home I will add here some of what Reb Noson z'l writes about being in Uman for R"H. Rebbe Nachman zy'a himself felt that encouraging Jews to come to the burial places of the thousands of victims of the Chmielnitzky massacres was very important.
Women used to go at R"H, although never in great numbers. As the number of male attendees has increased, Breslev leaders have urged women not to come out of tznius concerns. There is a larger women's gathering at Purim. As for secular Israelis and even Jews who are not chasidim of Rebbe Nachman in general, see my comment to Gershon Gold's answer.
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