Oak Park, CA — The thin monofilament line that marked a Jewish religious boundary in Oak Park, Agoura Hills and Westlake Village is being removed entirely, officials said last week.
Oak Park residents were the first to complain about the high wires crisscrossing the streets, saying they said didn't know about the project until it was completed. There were concerns that the thin lines were unsightly and a danger to birds.
Entire Eruv Comes Down
Oak Park, CA — The thin monofilament line that marked a Jewish religious boundary in Oak Park, Agoura Hills and Westlake Village is being removed entirely, officials said last week.
Oak Park residents were the first to complain about the high wires crisscrossing the streets, saying they said didn’t know about the project until it was completed. There were concerns that the thin lines were unsightly and a danger to birds.
Called an “eruv,” the clear wires were attached to the top of street light poles to form a symbolic enclosure that allowed movement by Orthodox Jews on the Sabbath.
The Oak Park lines were taken down first. Because the enclosure was left incomplete, project organizers decided to remove all the wires.
“This was solely a decision by the eruv committee to remove the rest of the eruv due to the fact that without the Ventura County portion of the eruv, the L.A. County portion serves no useful purpose,” said Eli Eisenberg, a spokesperson for the Jewish Chabad.
The Chabad had received approval from the cities of Agoura Hills and Westlake Village, and a permit from Ventura County for the Oak Park extension. But Southern California Edison failed to approve the lines on its Ventura County light poles, which contributed to the outcry in Oak Park.
Eisenberg apologized to Oak Park residents at a recent Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council meeting. He blamed a Los Angeles contractor for incorrect installation.
“Ultimately, it is our hope that this gesture of goodwill will be seen favorably by the residents of the greater Agoura Hills, Oak Park area and will prove, once and for all, that our primary goal is to be good neighbors and that any future attempts at an eruv will be done in concert with them,” Eisenberg said. There are no alternate plans for another eruv, Eisenberg said.
Dr. MD
Why would a “Chabad House” make an eruv?
It’s well documented that the Rebbe discouraged the use and building of eruvin.
As per Eisenberg’s comments, they only seem to add fuel to the fire of an already angry community. “Gesture of goodwill” “good neighbors”? Earlier in the article he says “without the Ventura County portion of the eruv, the L.A. County portion serves no useful purpose”.
That’s the reason why it was taken down, not because you’re a sweetheart.
Chaim
I don’t think the point was for Lubavitchers to use the Eruv. It was to facilitate other Jews shabbos experience.
Zoe Strickman
> “Why would a ‘Chabad House’ make an eruv”?
What do you think? It’s a WONDERFUL THING when a Chabad House takes on the HUGE RESPONSIBILITY of making and upkeeping an eruv.
In addition to the benefits of a “shabbos experience,” an eruv EVEN PROTECTS NON-RELIGIOUS JEWS WHO CARRY ON SHABBOS. With an eruv, no shabbos violation! Plus, it attracts MORE JEWISH FAMILIES, which is a wonderful thing for ANY Chabad House.
…and Mr. DR. MD [apparently you needed to flaunt your title and status], why would you quote the Rebbe so OUT OF CONTEXT??
Dr. MD
To “facilitate other Jews”?
You must mean the vast non-Lubavitch observant community of Agoura Hills?
To “Protect non-religious Jews”?
Which is why the revolutionary concept of a “Chabad House” building an eruv was established in the hotbed of Judaisim, Agoura Hills? Where are the numerous Chabad organized and funded eruvin of Brooklyn?
“Quote the Rebbe so out of context”?
Please educated the uneducated as to what the Rebbe said and what he “meant”.
“Flaunt your title”? Serendipitous initials, ironic but cute.