Tashlich services draw veteran and new rabbis

Story by Donald H. Harrison; Photos by Shor M. Masori

SAN DIEGO — Two rabbis new to the San Diego scene made their Tashlich debuts on Thursday, the afternoon of Rosh Hashanah at Lake Murray. Tifereth Israel Synagogue and Temple Emanu-El, respectively Conservative and Reform, held their annual joint services.

Families from two congregations in the eastern portion of San Diego gathered Thursday at Lake Murray for Tashlich services.

Rabbi Joshua Dorsch, wearing the red shirt of Tifereth Israel Synagogue Men’s Club, got a little lost as he walked from his new home to the lake. He arrived a few minutes after the outdoor service began. The Conservative congregation’s spiritual leader apologized for his tardiness, but no one had taken offense.  Everyone has been new to some place at some time.

Also making a first appearance at a Lake Murray Tashlich service was Temple Emanu-El’s new Rabbi/ Educator Benj Fried, a recent graduate of Hebrew Union College.

Rabbi Martin S. Lawson blows a long blast on a shofar as fellow rabbis, from left, Devorah Marcus, Benj Fried and Joshua Dorsch listen appreciatively.

Dorsch and Fried joined Temple Emanu-El’s Rabbi Emeritus Martin S. Lawson and its Senior Rabbi Devorah Marcus who are veterans of the joint celebration.

 

 

A portion of the crowd of hundreds who attended Tashlich services at Lake Murray and then threw bread upon the waters in a symbolic act to cast away their sins.

Marcus led in the responsive reading and singing for the short service, and Lawson signaled the time had come to cast sins–in the form of various kinds of breads–upon the waters, which Lake Murray’s ducks and geese happily gobbled.  Crumbs that fell on the lawn were seized upon by a population of pigeons.

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Harrison is editor and Masori is staff photographer of San Diego Jewish World. They may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com and shor.masori@sdjewishworld.com