From: makowsky@enuxhb.eas.asu.edu (David Makowsky)
Subject: Re: Eruv
Reply-To: makowsky@enuxhb.eas.asu.edu (David Makowsky)
Organization: Arizona State University, Tempe AZ
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 19:06:16 GMT

In article <CPLS13-080193081055@145.1.92.160> CPLS13@email.mot.com (Steven_Cohn) writes:

# In article <1993Jan8.035731.20236@ennews.eas.asu.edu>,
# makowsky@enuxhb.eas.asu.edu (David Makowsky) wrote:
 
# > In article <CPLS13-070193164055@145.1.92.160> CPLS13@email.mot.com (Steven_Cohn) writes:
 
# > # In article <5258@ceylon.gte.com>, sg04@gte.com (Yechezkal Shimon Gutfreund)
# > # wrote:

# > # > Well, for the first time in my life I live in a communitity that has
# > # > has an eruv. 18 or so years after its inception, Boston has an eruv. It
# > # > is reported to be the largest one in the US. It covers almost all of
# > # > Brookline, Brighton, and Newton (rt 9, to the Mass-Pike, from Kenmore
# > # > Square to about route 128). It is a huge area that includes several
# > # > large reservoirs and lakes (I believe they are excluded).

# > # > When instigated, I believe the planners felt that this would stem the
# > # > decline of Jewish Boston. Since then, Boston certainly has declined.
# > # > Maybe this will change things, but I seriously doubt it. Boston has
# > # > some much more severe problems. And I think that putting one's efforts
# > # > into an eruv sort of "skirts the heart of the matter" :-).

# > # Even better, there is now an eruv in Chicago!!!  While we were able to
# > # institute an eruv in Skokie (a north suburb of Chicago) about a year ago,
# > # the Chicago eruv became functional about 2 weeks ago.  We are finally a
# > # REAL jewish city now!
 
# > 	I would not tell that to a Brisker if I were you.
 
# > 	For those who are interested, there is a vicous battle going on in
# > Chicago over the Eruv.  There is a history over this battle which I
# > will not go into except to say some people have been taking ads out in
# > every issue of every Jewish publication that will let them saying that
# > those who carry on Shabbos inside the Chicago eruv are being Shabbos
# > violators of the worst kind.
 
# Yes, it has been quite vicious, and it really is a shame, since one of the
# main purposes of an eruv is to make for a more cohesive "community".  As
# for the aspect of "Shabbos violation", most of this is smoke and being done
# because of the feelings of the Brisk Rosh Yeshiva, who is violently against
# the eruv (the main "publicly stated" reason is that of "maris ayin").

	I was under the impression that the Brisk Rosh Yeshiva was opposed
to the eruv on the grounds that too many people pass through one of
the streets (which I believe is California and/or Western).  I think
that he is not opposed to eruvim per say.

# I'm
# not sure about the Chicago eruv, but for the Skokie eruv, our main poskin
# was haRav Gedalis Schwartz, Av Bet Din of the CRC (Chicago Rabinical
# Council - "O"), so we are fairly confident in it's halachic standing.

	He is not the main posek for the Chicago eruv.  For that (at least
according to the pamphlet my wife and I received in the mail) purpose
a major Rav from Bnei Brak is the Posek.  I am under the impression
(but I could be wrong) that no Rav in the United States was going to
go against the Brisk Rosh Yeshiva in his own "backyard".

# I certainly hope that this deviceness in the Chicago community can quikly
# end, since in Skokie the eruv has done a tremendous amount to help our
# community grow and become a "warmer" place to live.  In fact, we even had
# cooperation from all the rabbanim in the community - O, C, R, Chabad!

	I hope you are correct, and since my wife's job has a residency
requirement that forces us to live in Chicago itself, I hope it will
keep and attract young couples.
--
	There are three types of people in the world.  Those that are good
at math and those that are not.

makowsky@enuxhb.eas.asu.edu