A council in northwest London approved the establishment of a controversial eruv.
The ritual boundary, represented by string that will allow observant Jews to carry, push strollers and push wheelchairs on the Sabbath will be erected in the Elstree and Borehamwood neighborhoods of Hertfordshire.
The fight over the eruv has gone on for several years, and this week’s vote took place before a packed council chamber. More than 200 members of the local community submitted a petition earlier this year claiming that erecting the eruv poles necessary for the wire boundary was equivalent to establishing a “Jewish state” in the town.
Two other London communities, Finchley and Hendon, already have eruvim.
This eruv will consist of a combination of natural boundaries, rail lines, buildings and other human-made features. Where there are breaks in the perimeter, poles with wires suspended across the top will be erected. The planning approval was necessary only for the construction of the 34 pairs of poles that will be required to complete the boundary.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
