MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. - With hearts filled with joy, hope, and gratitude more than 200 people gathered peacefully at Leonard Park in Mount Kisco recently to usher in Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
The Sept. 23 Tashlich service was hosted by Chabad of Bedford. Rabbi Arik Wolf sounded the traditional 30 blasts of the shofar, a ritual trumpet made from a ram’s horn, after addressing congregants. Cantor Mendy Shapiro led participants in song and prayer and a member of crowd stepped forward to read the blessings.
The large group was a mix of young and old – with a few family pets thrown in for good measure.
Honey cake, which symbolizes a wish for a sweet and fruitful new year, was handed out as were bits of bread that were to be tossed into a body of water – in this case, Wallace Pond – as a way of casting off sins and asking forgiveness for any misdeeds.
Finally, about a dozen men spontaneously joined in a circle to dance.
Dancing isn’t typically done on Rosh Hashanah, a solemn holiday for prayer and reflection; it’s more a part of Simchat Torah, which marks the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle.
But in this case, considering that “Shofar in the Park” might not have taken place this year, there was definitely extra cause for celebration.
Initially, the chabad was denied a permit to hold the service at Leonard Park, which is owned by Mount Kisco, despite having done so for the past five years.
The village/town’s Recreation Committee had cited restrictions on the holding of religious events reportedly in deeds governing Leonard Park.
Folks taken aback by the unexpected decision cited the holding of Easter egg hunts in the park as appearing to favor one religion over the other.
The chabad vigorously pushed back, enlisting legal help from the National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) while Mount Kisco itself turned for advice to the outside law firm of Dorf Nelson & Zauderer LLP.
Pleas were made to the Village Board and a tete-a-tete was conducted between Rabbi Wolf, Mayor J. Michael Cindrich, and state Assemblyman Chris Burdick. Congressman Mike Lawler reportedly had a hand in the negotiations.
Things seemed to be at a standstill until finally, at its Sept. 10 meeting, the committee backpedaled, voting unanimously to grant the permit.
The service, usually attended by about 50 people, drew nearly five times that amount on that cool, but sunny, fall afternoon.
Rabbi Wolf saw it as an expression of solidarity from the general community.
The main point of tashlich is “to move on and to try to be even better in the coming year,” he told Halston Media, adding that the chabad was “thrilled” to see how the Jewish tradition had carried on at Leonard Park despite the temporary setback.
“There are so many forces that look to divide and separate us. A gathering like this, whose purpose is to unite and bring a diverse group of people together, is something we should celebrate and support,” he said, adding that “was certainly evident among the people there on Tuesday.”
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