About the same time, the community built a mikvah , or ritual bath. The eruv , which is mostly in Passaic and includes a small part of Clifton, is composed largely of telephone wires. But to fully surround the neighborhood, some poles are connected by string to fences, factory walls, and other poles. Victor said it is about eight miles long. Inspectors travel the perimeter each week and report the condition of the eruv , calling a hot line in Victor's home.
Residents then call to make sure it still meets strict guidelines.
The hot line mes sage also includes a reminder about what time to light the sabbath candles. Though hundreds of non-Jews live inside or near the eruv , many are unaware of its significance or even its existence. There have been occasional controversies about eruvim elsewhere. In Monmouth County, where many phone lines are underground, there were complaints that poles erected strictly for the eruv were eyesores. Many of the complaints were raised by secular Jews.