I felt a little guilty, when I realized I was out walking on the beach with a cousin on Rosh Hashana .. but then I realized that was as good a "Tashlich" as any other place, and the natural beauty was close to God too!

Did you used to go to Tashlich as a kid .. what about now?

I just moved from Bergen to Monmouth County in New Jersey. There are a million churches in the immediate area, but no temples. Since the primary reason I'd want to go would be to meet others in the Jewish community, it seems pointless to go to a temple 10 miles away. Not that far north of me is an orthodox/Chassidic area, but I definitely wouldn't fit in there!

When my elderly aunt moved in with me back in 2002, I checked out the temples near me in Bergen County, and all of them were pretty expensive for membership. Although my aunt could afford it, she probably only would have attended for the High Holidays, since almost everything else was children- and young family-oriented. She didn't feel like spending $1,500 to join, and then get hit with an extra charge for holiday "tickets"!

I would be happy to find a "Jewish Community Center" down here, where they focus more on culture & less on religion.

Most of my family is dead at this point and I am a widow.  So--like so many others--I am by myself this time of the year.  Although I am not observant I do like to go to services on the High Holy days and feel a connection to Jews the world over and through history.  So I am doing that and I invited two friends who are in similar circumstances to join me for dinner beforehand and for services.  For the past few years I have been a member of a synagogue here in Manhattan but before I had any affiliation I would go to the free services oferred this time of the year by many orthodox synagogues in this area.(termed beginner services).  They offer free services with explanations in English and aimed at those in the fold who want to learn more about Jewish religion, tradition and ritual.  I found them very welcoming and interesting but then "graduated" to my own membership 

I remember everyone getting "fa'pitzed" (dressed up), when I was little. Rosh Hashanah was one of the rare occassions when my Mom wore makeup! In retrospect, I think of it now as getting into battle gear .. nice suits, makeup, good jewelry, and of course furs. Since it was often still warm weather, mink stoles were the order of the day; anything else might be uncomfortable.

I also remember that during a break in the all-day services, a few people would go around getting "pledges", since no one carried money or a handbag to shule. Even as a child, I thought it was awful, that those representatives would call out to the congregation the name & amount each family pledged .. how inappropriate for a temple on the High Holidays! Often, the people who went around were the "insiders" or "machers", and they'd start the ball rolling with their own pledges (like "shills", I thought). I'm sure many a family made a pledge just to show that they could afford as much as the machers gave!