Today is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. It is a tradition on this day to make your way to a body of water to symbolically cast off your sins/mistakes of the past year. The Tashlich ceremony, as it’s called, has its origins with the prophet Micah (7:19), “He will take us back in love; He will cover up our iniquities. You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
The High Holidays look different this year since synagogues are not having in-person services. I know myself well enough to know that sitting in front of the computer for a Zoom worship service will not work for me. I’ll get distracted, think about work, arrange my office, or look at my phone. That’s not the nature of the holiday. So this year, I decided to celebrate Rosh Hashanah in ways that are meaningful to me. Tashlich is one of those ways, as being in nature has become almost spiritual for me.
It’s a beautiful, fall-like day in Indiana, and Sophie and I made our way to Hawthorn Park for our own Tashlich ceremony. We read a few prayers aloud and tossed our mistakes of the past year into the lake, while also throwing in our hopes/goals for the new year. I like the idea of acknowledging the past, but focusing on the future.
L’Shana Tova ~ 5781 🍎🍯