This is a photograph of people participating in the Tashlich ceremony on the beach in Tel Aviv. The photograph, taken in 1971, depicts a group of people, men and women, dressed in festive clothing standing on the beach. The men are wearing hats and dark suits or dark trousers and white shirts, and most of them are reading from small machzorim (High Holiday prayer books) that they are holding. The women are wearing dresses and standing in a group. Tashlich is said next to a body of water, and the ceremony consists of reciting prayers asking God for mercy when passing judgment.
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Tashlich – Tashlich is a ceremony in which one symbolically tosses one’s sins into a body of water, which takes place on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. The source of the custom can be found in 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 ceremony consists of reciting prayers asking for God’s mercy. Some people have the tradition of throwing pieces of bread, as representations of their sins, into the water; others forbid this practice, seeing it as superstitious. If the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, Ashkenazi Jews perform Tashlich on the second day. Tashlich can be performed until Hoshana Raba at the end of the festival of Sukkot. The custom of Tashlich was developed around the thirteenth century and has been debated by rabbis ever since. Objections include the fear that people will simply throw bread into the water as a way of ridding themselves of sins without actually doing teshuva (atonement), which requires people to be introspective about their past behavior and commit to changing in the future.
Rosh Hashanah – Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the Jewish New Year which takes place on the first two days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. It is celebrated by blowing the shofar, lighting candles, eating festive meals, and attending services at the synagogue. Rosh Hashanah is the first of the High Holy days which end 10 days later with Yom Kippur. The ten-day period is called the Ten Days of Repentance, because it is believed that during this period a person’s deeds are judged and the future year is decided. It is a both a festive holiday and a solemn time of introspection which includes prayer, asking forgiveness from others, and giving tzedakah (charity). The prayers on Rosh Hashanah include asking God for a peaceful, prosperous, and healthy year. Rosh Hashanah also celebrates the creation of the world. People greet each other on Rosh Hashanah by saying: “Shana Tova (Happy New Year).” Food customs for Rosh Hashanah vary among the different communities but often include round challahs (instead of the customary long loaf), apples and honey, and pomegranates. Many people send Shana Tova cards to their friends and family.
