From Rabbi Yudell Reiz, Associate Rabbi at Chabad of UC. For current Eruv status and to view the UC Eruv map, visit http://www.chabaduc.org/.
Over the past few weeks*, many residents of UC have noticed the construction of several pairs of vertical poles that are connected with overhead cables across certain streets. This is part of an Eruv.
What’s an Eruv?
Under Jewish law on the Sabbath, it is forbidden to carry anything from a “private” domain into a “public” one or vice versa. Private and public do not refer to ownership, rather to the nature of the area. An enclosed area is considered a private domain, whereas an open area is considered public for the purposes of these laws.
It became obvious even in ancient times, that on the Sabbath, as on other days, there are certain things people wish to carry. People also want to get together with their friends after synagogue and take things with them—including their babies. An Eruv also allows those with canes and wheelchairs to leave their homes on the Sabbath.
Given the design of many communities in the past, many neighborhoods or even cities were walled. As such, the whole area was regarded as “private,” and carrying allowed. That, however, wasn’t always the case. And today, it is an obvious impracticality to build walls throughout portions of cities, crossing over or through streets and walkways.
The answer is a technical enclosure which surrounds both private and hitherto public domains and thus creates a large private domain in which carrying is permitted on the Sabbath. Colloquially this is known as an eruv.
The Eruv in UC is 99% natural boundary, as the neighborhood is surrounded by steep slopes. Some existing fences are being utilized as well. “Doorways,” are being constructed in the four areas where the natural boundary is interrupted by roads. There are poles placed on each side of the street and a thin cable connecting the poles overhead. The combination of the “doorways,” steep slopes and some fences completes the technical enclosure.
This project was submitted, reviewed and fully approved by the City of San Diego and was also approved by the UCPG. The Eruv was designed to be unobtrusive. Please note that our original design did not include the reflective tape that has been attached to the cables. This revision to the plans was recommended by the UCPG when concerns were raised about the safety of birds.
Eruv in the United States (and throughout the world) is not unique. There are two other Eruvin (plural for Eruv) in San Diego already. One is in La Jolla and the other is near the SDSU campus. Los Angeles, New York City, Washington DC, Seattle, Chicago, Kansas City (my hometown), Houston and hundreds of other cities in the United States have Eruvin.
The Eruv project is being managed by the Chabad Center of UC, a synagogue near the intersection of Governor Drive and Genesee Avenue. The synagogue includes Jewish individuals and families of all levels of religious observance and does not require membership to attend services.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the synagogue at 858-455-1670 or email info@chabaduc.org.
*This article originally appeared in print in the March 2015 University City UCCA newsletter, page 13; PDF copy available at https://www.universitycitynews.org/ucca-newsletter-archives/
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