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STAMFORD, Conn. A small group of people gathered at the Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens in Stamford to say the Tashlich as part of their Rosh Hashanah celebration. While reciting the prayer, each person threw bread crumbs into a stream. The bread crumbs represent their sins.
If you have more sins, you can take a bigger piece, Rabbi John Franken of Temple Sinai in Stamford said jokingly as he enlisted the help of two children to hand out bread before the prayer. The temple is a Reform congregation.
The Tashlich which means casting off is said near a body of water on the first day of Rosh Hashanah before afternoon services so the sins can be carried away. Franken did not know the origin of the ritual but said it comes from the verse, Cast your sins into the depths of the water.
Its the resetting of our compasses to true north, he said, explaining that the Jewish religion says people are born free of sin and they are capable of turning back to God.
Rosh Hashanah means Head of the Year, and is a two-day observation of the start of the Jewish Year, Tishrei, according to Chabad.org. It is also the anniversary of the creation of mankind, and the holiday is meant to emphasize the relationship between God and people, the website says. The 10-day period ends with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
Contact reporter Anthony Buzzeo by e-mail, tbuzzeo@dailystamford.com.
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