The environmental charity EcoJudaism has brought together Jews from across London in a mission to clean up the heavily polluted Dollis Brook, which runs through Hendon, Golders Green and Finchley.

The clean-up was part of the global “Reverse Tashlich” event ahead of Rosh Hashanah, with thousands of Jews across 23 countries taking part.

Reverse Tashlich is the initiative of American-based charity Tikkun HaYam (Repair the Sea), which looked to honour the tradition of Tashlich and address a modern crisis by cleaning up waterfronts in Jewish communities and combating water pollution.

All ages got involved in cleaning up Dollis Brook (Photo: EcoJudaism)

During traditional Taschlich, special verses are recited next to a source of natural water and the corners of one's clothes are shaken out or the corners of a tallit. It symbolises the “casting off” of sins.

Tashlich is usually performed on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, unless this falls on Shabbat, and can be performed until the last day of Succot.

In just one hour, volunteers from EcoJudaism – the environmental organisation of the Jewish community – filled 16 indutrial-sized bags at the Hendon stretch of the river with buggies, footballs, number plates, nappies, vapes, cans, food packaging and plastic bags from kosher supermarkets. 

EcoJudaism chief executive Naomi Verber said: “The mandate to protect water sources can be traced back to the beginning of creation. Right at the start of the Book of Genesis it says: ‘God’s spirit hovers over the water’ in the present tense. God’s spirit was over the water at the time of creation and continues to be there now. This makes water a holy place, so how can we as Jews pollute it? How can we ignore the degradation of our waterways, our life source, and not act?”

Restoring local waterways in Jewish residential areas is a core, long-term strategic objective of EcoJudaism, which believes that Jews have a religious obligation to protect the water.

Sixteen industrial-sized rubbish bags were filled during the clean-up of Dollis Brook in Hendon (Photo: EcoJudaism)

Over the next five years, the charity will focus on cleaning up and restoring Dollis Brook with regular community clean-up and planting days.

Verber said: “By the time we're done, we should have a river in north-west London clean enough to swim in. Our ambition is that through future clean-ups, partnerships with other activists and careful lobbying of local and national government, our waterways will be restored for wildlife and humans alike to enjoy.”