Thanks to a friend's generous invitation, I went along to Tashlich for the first time at the lake in Prospect Park. In this Rosh Hashanah ceremony, bread is cast upon a body of water (it should have fish in it, and the lake certainly does). This symbolizes the casting away of sins and the purification of the heart for a new year.
My friend's faith community, although called Conservative, was a relaxed and convivial throng, a mix of young families and a few "old hippies," as she lovingly described them. There was schmoozing after their young lady rabbi led us in prayer and song; some people tossed popcorn instead of bread because it's supposed to be better for the ducks.
The spectrum of Brooklyn's Jewish communities was represented at water's edge. A gathering of very Orthodox folks brought at least three generations to the lake, their quiet reverie a contrast to the ebullience of my friend's group. Yet another tribe gathered on another little peninsula; I had a hunch they were from the Syrian community. Nearby, picnickers barbecued obliviously as the afternoon light mellowed. The ritual felt curiously familiar and comfortable to my Catholic self; I've been doing symbolic things with bread and water, and lapsing into an ancient tongue on holy days, and seeking absolution for sins, all my life. Feels great, and even better outdoors.
Cast away from yourselves all your transgressions,
And create within yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
--Ezekiel 18:31