"Today we have come here not to cast off our personal sins, but to cast off our inactions in opposing the Israeli occupation of Palestine and injustice within our local communities.  We are
recommitting ourselves to end the occupation of Palestine, to support self-determination for Israelis and Palestinians and to fight for racial and economic justice. "

JVP's Seattle chapter has written this about the history of Tashlich:
 
Since the late medieval period, Jews have observed the custom of Tashlich, often on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. The Tashlich (from the root word, which means “to cast away”) ceremony is based on several passages in the bible, most notably Book of Micah (7:9): “You will hurl all of our sins into the depths of the sea.”  
 
The practice is to go to a nearby body of water, preferably free-flowing, and symbolically cast away our sins by either throwing bread crumbs or pebbles into the water while reciting biblical verses.  Water has continually served as a significant symbol in Jewish life and practice. Wherever possible, Jews prayed and built synagogues near bodies of water.  
 
In Jerusalem and in Egypt, Tashlich was always observed on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, even when it fell on Shabbat.  In Jerusalem, where there are no lakes or rivers, Tashlich was performed at cisterns. In Safed, Jews would go up to the roofs on their homes and look down upon the Sea of Galilee. 

The Jews of Yemen observed Tashlich in a mikvah, a ritual bath. Kurdish Jews actually leapt into the water and swam to cleanse themselves of sin. Chassidim in Galicia sent little floats of straw out on the water, set them afire with candles, and rejoiced as their sins were either burned or washed away. done in our name and we must take ownership of these sins. 
 
Jewish tradition teaches us to pursue justice, and we face this obligation openly, freely, and sincerely.
 
As Jews, we choose to be responsible for all of these.

The idea today is not that we suddenly get rid of our sins, but that we set our intention to transform them. What we 'cast' into the water are our own prejudices, which we can think of as a husk around our best selves.

We want the water to soak off the husks, revive the holy part of ourselves, which we can think of as a seed, and help us recommit to something bigger than ourselves.

Indeed, we are not throwing 'away' our sins. We are transforming their energy in order to renew our commitment to the struggle for justice.

This year, once again, JVP chapters in both Seattle and Chicago held meaningful Tashlich ceremonies that fully reflected our commitment to embodying justice in all aspects of our lives and political work.

Click here to download and read Seattle's Tashlich Booklet.

In Chicago, participants wrote on paper boats they set aflame and placed in the water to signify the "burning of our collective sins being cast into the water like the Jews of Galicia."