"Tashlich" by Julie Russo

City Serene reports on faith traditions that connect the mind, body, and spirit within the humanistic tradition.

One of my favorite rituals on the first afternoon of the Jewish new year

is called Tashlich. This is when it is customary to visit a stream with

fish and running water moving through it. Standing on the banks of the

stream we cast leaves in the water, symbolic of the sins that we let

go of in the past in favor of a new beginning. I like the idea of performing

Tashlich whenever I visit a river, not only at the start of a new year, but

as a regular way of inviting new energy into my life, as well as letting go of the

difficulties that are clouding my ability to be optimistic.

The act of setting aside our problems by symbolically

returning them to "an imaginary stream" from where they originated is one way

of coping with stress. Returning to my daily routine after performing this

ritual often results in feeling rejuvenated. Happy Rosh Hashanah.