Temple Isaiah leads Tashlich Services at the Lexington Reservoir

For hundreds of years, Jews have gathered by the water’s edge on the afternoon of Rosh Hashanah to symbolically cast off their sins. The ritual takes its name from a verse in the Book of Micah (7:19): "You will cast [tashlich] all their sins into the depths of the sea."

This year on Sept. 12, Rabbi Karen Thomashaw, Rabbi Jordana Schuster Battis, and Cantor Lisa Doob led Tashlich services at the Lexington Reservoir. Following the service, participants tossed birdseed into the reservoir—an eco-friendly alternative to traditional breadcrumbs that protects local wildlife and the environment while symbolizing a fresh start for the New Year.