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This ceremony, known as Tashlich, from the Hebrew "to cast," is performed by ob- servant Jews all over the world. Jews can be spotted casting breadcrumbs, sym- bolic of their sins, along the shores of the Atlantic, Pacific and Mediterranean seas, at the Sea of Galilee and in landlocked Jerusalem at the Shiloah or Silwan tunnel, through which the Gihon spring flows. The origins of this symbolic ritual remain a mystery. It is not mentioned in either the Torah or the Talmud, or by the early rabbinic authorities. The earliest reference is found in the writ- ings of the 15th century German sage Rabbi Jacob Moellin in the Sefer Mahar- vil, but though he acknowl- edges the existence of the practice he doesn't explain how and why it developed. Several commentators. link the idea of going to a body of water on the new year to a legend about our father Ab- raham. According to the legend, after God ordered Ab- raham to sacrifice Isaac, Satan came to God claiming, "This is too much. I can't be- lieve that your servant Ab- raham will bring his only son — the son he has waited for his entire life — to the slaughter." So confident was the Almighty in Abraham that He made a bet with Sa- tan. The legend explains that God allowed Satan to do ev- erything in his power to tempt Abraham and divert him from his path. To frighten Abraham, Satan disguised himself as a mighty river. When the aged patriarch and his son saw the river they were puzzled. "I have passed this place many times before and never have I seen this river," said Ab- raham. Determined to reach his destination — Mount Moriah, the hill designated for the sacrifice — Abraham and his son waded into the river. Soon the water reached their necks. Abraham called out to God asking Him for the strength and clarity to help him do His will. When Satan saw this, he caused the waters to recede, allowing Abraham and Isaac to pass. , In Jewish tradition, the new year is the time man takes stock of himself and asks himself how well he is serving God. By going to the banks of a river or other body of water, we recall the legend Tashlich observance on a Tel Aviv beach: recalling man's origins and destiny. of our father Abraham who stood prepared to fight any obstacle, no matter how great, that stood in the way of his divine service.. As we ask God to forgive our sins and grant us another year of life, we pray that we too will be able to overcome any obs- tacles. In Jewish tradition, Torah is called a "well of living waters." Our sages teach that only by cleansing ourselves in the living waters of Torah can we overcome our weak- nesses and serve God prop- erly. To illustrate this, at Tashlich, Kurdish Jews liter- ally jump into the water to observe the ceremony. In the Tashlich prayers we say to God: "Arouse your mercy that we may be cleansed from all forms of impurity." The Code of Jewish Law, Shulhan Arukh, states that Tashlich should be recited alongside a body of water containing fish. This is be- cause fish are vulnerable. They are constantly prey to hooks, nets and other larger fish. So, too, is man vulnera- ble, to his impulses and de- structive tendencies and must constantly be aware of his feelings and actions so as not to fall prey to sin. In the Tashlich service, we recite the 13 attributes of di- vine perfection, recalling that God is compassionate, forgiv- ing, slow to anger, etc. Judaism teaches that man must strive to imitate divine perfection and incorporate these attributes into his per- sonality. Abraham, more than any Jew in history, suc- ceeded in this. The Torah also teaches that man was created out of the dust of the earth and that before man was created the earth was covered with water. Standing along the waterside, on the first day of the new year, we recall where we came from, where we are going and the great task we have ahead of us. The Tashlich ceremony re- minds us both of how small we are, and how great we can be. World Zionist Press Service Soviet Trip Transforms A Christian Minister ALAN HITSKY News Editor high school fascination with the Soviet Union has, years later, transformed a northern Michigan clergywoman into an activist in behalf of soviet Jewry. The Rev. Diane Vaught, a campus minister at North- west Michigan Community College in Traverse City and a member of the Disciples of Christ denomination, traveled to the Soviet Union this summer with a National Council of Churches delega- A tion to complete a decades-old dream. But she also went in search of Soviet Jewish re- fuseniks and with the knowl- edge of two briefings from the Detroit Soviet Jewry Com- mittee. Rev. Vaught had been planning her Soviet trip for a year, studying the Russian language and reading every text on Russia that she could find. Her interest in Soviet Jews, however, was kindled last spring at a Holocaust memorial service in Traverse City. Mickey Fivenson of the Traverse City Jewish com- munity, upon learning of Rev. Vaught's impending trip, put her in touch with