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Mr. Rudavsky said in an interview that he believed “A Life Apart” was the first feature-length documentary released in American theaters that explored Hasidism.

Hasidism had its cradle in Ukraine dating back 300 years and Ukraine had one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe before the war, estimated at between 250,000-500,000 mostly Hasidic Jews.

The two are members of Hasidism’s Chabad movement.

Hasidism traces it roots to Ukrainian Jews, and the communities here have flourished in different periods of history.

The pilgrims, most of whom belong to the Breslover branch of Hasidism, have traveled to celebrate the Jewish new year at the grave of their movement’s founder.