Message from the President: We were excited to have marked our 30th year of service to the community during 2023. Our 2024 Fundraising Campaign starts soon!
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Mission: We operate and maintain the Greater Boston Eruv, one of the largest Eruvim in the United States. The Eruv allows people within its borders to carry on the Shabbat, an activity that would otherwise be proscribed by Jewish law.
Scope: The Greater Boston Eruv covers major parts of Brookline, Newton, and Brighton. An initial extension of the Eruv to include Nonantum (See the map!) was followed by expansion into most of South Newton. During Sukkot 5766, we completed a third extension to the Eruv that includes a significant portion of Boston University. In 5771, we added another small section in the Newton area. We also manage the Malden, MA (extended in December 2014) and the Brandeis University Eruv (which was extended into Waltham during the Fall of 2015). Beginning in 2014, we began two simultaneous projects, one to extend the Eruv into more of South Brookline and, for the first time, into West Roxbury, and a new Eruv on the North Shore (Marblehead, Salem, Swampscott). Our new South Brookline/West Roxbury extension was ready for service as of Erev Yom Kippur 5777. Our Swampscott Eruv (Phase 1) went online in the Fall of 2016.
To subscribe to our Weekly Eruv Status mail list, please send us an email.
March 30, 2023 - Rabbi Meilich Horowitz and Dr. Jesse Hefter perform the Eruv Chatzeros for the upcoming year just prior to Pesach.
Rabbi Moshe Heinemann (r) and Dr. Jesse Hefter surveying a portion of the proposed Eruv in the late 1980s
Fundraising for our 2023 campaign (our 30th year) is in full swing; our 2023 letter was sent out in late-2022 (via eMail if we have your eMail address or via paper mail if we don't).
If you have not heard from us recently, please contact us as soon as possible.
We need everyone's participation! And remember... the Eruv is not a free service.
Our 2023 fund raising letter is available. (Requires Adobe Reader, do you need it?: Get it here).
Need our physical street mailing address? Use the Contact Link to the left...
If you have a Donor Advised Fund, you can contribute to the Eruv using the form below:
NEWS!
November 8, 2023 - Haskamot of Harav Moshe Heinemann
We have scanned two important documents prepared by Harav Moshe Heinemann for our Eruv in 5764 (2004). The first is a statement of the validity of the Community Eruv. The second is a Teshuva (legal decision) regarding the question of an Eruv that spans multiple neighborhoods where some of the neighborhoods are split by a roadway or highway. This latter question arose here in Boston with the Massachusetts Turnpike bisecting part of the Eruv. The PDF documents are available on the "About" page. We have tremendous Hakaras HaTov for his guidance, leadership, and friendship over the decades!
November 6, 2023 - Arcadian Hotel - Brookline - Discount Room Rates
The Arcadian Hotel, located in the heart of Coolidge Corner and near several synagogues, now offers discounted booking rates for those staying in Brookline over Shabbat. To make your reservation, please use the promo code 'BOSTONERUV10' and use this link.
October 22, 2023 - OU Sponsors National Eruv Conference
The Orthodox Union sponsored a two-day conference for Eruv professionals on October 22 and 23, 2023. The event drew over 60 Eruv professionals across the religious spectrum from 35 cities in 10 states, as well as from Canada. The conference enabled participants to create a network of like-minded individuals who can share of their knowledge and expertise. Further, the participants drew chizuk from the lectures and workshops. You can read more about the conference at the link that follows: Link to the conference article
September 27, 2023 - Another season at the Larz Anderson Lagoon
Another season of utilizing the Larz Anderson Lagoon in South Brookline began today. Each year, starting after Yom Kippur, we place a radio-controlled boat onto the lagoon and have it travel over the water for at least 18 minutes. In order for this procedure to work, that is, to include the lagoon within the Eruv, this activity must be performed a majority of the weeks of the year (which for this Eruv extension started on Yom Kippur, in 2018) which is at least 27 weeks of the year.
September 13, 2023 - The Winter Eruv for Camp Ramah is ready!
We visited the Camp Ramah (Palmer, MA) to ensure that a subset of the main Eruv is ready for fall and winter visitors. We call it the Ramah Winter Eruv. Rabbi Bruce Seltzer, who is responsible for the Camp Eruv met Dr. Jesse Hefter for a complete review of the perimter. Together, we found a series of issues that were carefully remedied. After about 4 hours of work (some in the rain and some in the sun), the Eruv border was completed and is ready for use!
You can read more about the Camp Ramah Eruv here.
July 9, 2023 - An Eruv for Hong Kong!
A portion of Hong Kong, China, was recently encircled by an Eruv. This allows the roughly 3,000 Jewish residents there to more easily move around on the Shabbat. The Eruv was announced in the Times of Israel and you can read about it here
May 31, 2023 - Maimonides School 6th-Grade Eruv Tour
The sixth grade at the Maimonides School in Brookline invited Dr. Jesse Hefter, President of the Greater Boston Eruv, to visit their class and provide some background about Eruv design, halacha, and real-world implementation. The students had just learned several section of Masechet Eiruvin Mishnayot and the presentation helped the students (and teachers) to connect the legal material to the actual implementation. After about a 40 minute classroom dialog, we walked several blocks to the edge of the Eruv and saw the border elements right up-close. The student feedback was positive - connecting classroom content with the real world in actual practice.
Dr. Jesse Hefter explaining the concept of "lechi" in-class.
March 31, 2023 - Brandeis University, Waltham executes Eiruv Chatzeros for the Coming Year
Dr. Jesse Hefter was invited by Rabbi Seth Winberg and Rabbi Ariel Cohen to meet with representative students from the University and execute a fresh Eireuv Chatzeros for the coming year. The students are always excited to participate in this important ceremony!
February 11, 2023 - 'Uv-ney Yisroel Yotz-im B'Yad Ramah' - An invited presentation to Congregation Kadimah-Toras Moshe
Dr. Jesse Hefter was invited by Rabbi Jason Strauss and President Andy Rubin of Brighton's Congregation Kadimah-Torah Moshe to present a Dvar Torah and Funding presentation on Shabbos Yisro to the congregation. We appreciate the opportunity to get the Eruv's message out to the community!
A copy of the Dvar Torah is available.
February 10, 2023 - South Brookline Infrastructure Update
We met with the head of Landscaping and Horticulture at Chestnut Hill Realty in South Brookline to determine how to access a set of Tzuros HaPesach that are hemmed in by a huge dirt pile. In the process of creating the dirt pile, two twine segments were broken. Since the segments in question are part of an exclusion from the main Eruv, the repair is not immediately required.
Our teams reviewed the situation and determined next steps for repairing the two twine segments that will serve our purposes and be out of the way of the continuing construction activities (i.e., the creation of a new parking lot behind a large set of apartments).
We appreciate the continuing support and cooperation from the CHR staff!
Repairs: The Eruv is repaired by Dan Strom of Strom Electric. Follow the link to reach a reliable, friendly, and competent electrician!
Tree Services: We have been fortunate to work with the good folks at BrightView Tree Care Services when a hard-to-reach twine crossing (usually with tree branches in the way) needs to be rebuilt. If you ever need tree care services, please consider reaching out to them at www.brightview.com.
To subscribe to our Weekly Eruv Status mail list, please send us 
November 8, 2023 - Haskamot of Harav Moshe Heinemann
