Several hundred Orthodox Jews from Israel, Western Europe and the United States are in Lelów, near Częstochowa in southern Poland, to pray at the grave of Tzadik Dawid Biderman (1746-1814), the founder of the Lelov Hassidic dynasty.

The annual pilgrimage this year marks the 203rd anniversary of Tzadik Biderman’s death. Believers say that at each anniversary he descends from heaven to earth to collect their requests to God.

The requests are written down on small pieces of paper, which are placed on the Tzadik’s grave. The prayers held at the site are accompanied by traditional dances and the singing of psalms.

Jewish pilgrimages to Lelów started at the end of the 1980s, following the discovery of Tzadik Biderman’s place of burial.

The head of the Lelów commune, Krzysztof Molenda, told the Polish Press Agency that hosting such a large group of visitors in a village of just over 1,000 inhabitants is a challenge.

He added, however, that all arrangements have gone smoothly, with some visitors staying at residents’ homes and some in a local school.

The first written records of Lelów date back to the 12th century. Prior to World War II, Jews accounted for half the locality’s population of 4,000. Most of them were killed by the Germans occupying Poland during the war. (mk/pk)