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Crown Heights, Brooklyn is now home to a controversial new eiruv.* I am aware that the majority of Lubavitchers do not accept it for both Chasidic and Halachic reasons. I am also under the impression that members of most other ultra-Orthodox groups hold that an eiruv cannot be built in Brooklyn and thus will not use this eiruv.

However, where do people in the middle stand? I know labels are variable and somewhat arbitrary, but I'd still like to know whether people who consider themselves, say, left-wing Chareidi, mainstream or modern Yeshivish, Modern Orthodox machmir, heimish, or broadly shomer mitzvos (I'm treating these groups as separate, although they often overlap) accept this eiruv. Also, are there any "ultra-Orthodox" groups who do accept the eiruv, or modern ones who don't? (I am interested in the case of the Crown Heights eiruv, but also Brooklyn eruvim more generally.)

* "The Eruv is under the auspices of Congregation Kol Israel of Prospect Heights and their Rav, Rabbi Elkanah Schwartz,who has established the nearby eiruvim of Prospect Heights and Brower Park [sic]." --here

Related Why is the Boro Park eiruv controversial?

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SAH
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  • I'm somehat confused. You stated that they have a controversial Eruv. That implies that some Jewish group finds it permissible, right? Otherwise, there's no controversy! Is the group that allows it basing it on legit. sources? If so, what's the problem? Either way, if that group that permits it has been identified, can you contact the leading rav or someone in charge to get more info? Also, Boro Park is somewhat unique as they have multiple Chassidic groups, so you get a much wider variety of opinions than you would in Crown Heights. – DanF Jul 14 '16 at 02:40
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    I feel that the same problem may be found with 1000 things. Each problem need to be treated alone. You say that Chabad are not agreing to the Eruv. Hilchot Eruvin is very complex and as for many topics there are Machloktot between poskim. I assume that Chabbad follow 1 posek, each group has its Rav. or you can decide to decide alone what is the din or you can choose your Rav – kouty Jul 14 '16 at 04:41
  • @DanF I wish I knew enough Hebrew to find an adjective from "nigleh" -- "halachic" is simply not as good here – SAH Jul 14 '16 at 08:05
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    @DanF I have not gotten a psak. To the extent that I'm "shopping" for rabbis, I'm doing so because I'm a single woman without a family minhag. Up to a certain point such "shopping" is allowed, I think. I have taken your suggestion and eliminated the motive from my question. – SAH Jul 14 '16 at 08:13
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    The question is better. I think that the "kuntress" would offer the best insight as to what the rebbe was thinking. Have to view it later. My hunch. FWIW, it looks like a difference of opinions of which there may be a halachic leniency working to permit the Eruv. The laws of Eruv are so complex, that my shul rav, who is partially responsible for the Eruv in mycommunity, has trouble understanding some halachic nuances. He therefore, follows the strictest opinions and allows the Eruv in most but not all areas in our community (even though it extends to other areas.) – DanF Jul 14 '16 at 14:35
  • I have heard of a few Ortho. rabbis who forbid the use of any Eruv in a community that contains a large number of "minimally" religious Jews. Some concerns that I have heard - 1) People will not pay attention to the Eruv's borders. 2) People will carry muktzeh items or perform inappropriate Shabbat activities such as playing ball. 3) People will not check weekly that the Eruv is working. Regarding #3, my neighborhood emails all Eruv "subscribers" weekly. There have been a few weeks where the Eruv was NOT up. No one should ever assume that the Eruv always "works". (cont., below) – DanF Jul 14 '16 at 14:42
  • Conjecture - As Chaba"d is a large "Kiruv" org. dealing with many new-comer Jews, perhaps the Rebbe felt that it is easier to convey a simpler message just saying you can't carry on Shabbat - period, rather than "Well, you can carry here and here, but not here..." – DanF Jul 14 '16 at 14:44
  • @DanF I don't think this was the Rebbe's reason as there is an eiruv in their other community, Kfar Chabad. And they make the "little eruvs"--whatever they're called--around Crown Heights, and this is kosher. I don't actually know what his reason was but people seem to listen to it. Arguably even for those who are not Chabad, holding by this ruling when in CH could be a matter of respect for his turf and for his memory – SAH Jul 14 '16 at 16:59
  • Your last sentence echoes what many of the comments on your linked web site indicate. It looks like the web site has a lnk to the English translation of his "Kuntress" (you'll see a pic of it near the bottom.) I can't access it from where I am, now. Perhaps, if you click it, and read through it, it may explain the Rebbe's reasoning. The "little Eruvs". I believe, are what private owners do around their own homes, right? – DanF Jul 14 '16 at 18:17
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    If you're trying to gain some sense of what you, personally may want to do, see http://crownheights.info/communal-matters/537360/i-do-not-certify-or-endorse-the-eruv/ . IMO, this sounds suspicious. It sounds like Rabbi Schwartz is passing the blame or avoiding answering a question, directly. It sounds like he's trying to protect his own job in some way. My hunch, based on what I'm reading. If this is a "shtick", I'm unimpressed. I may be misinterpreting some things about Rabbi Schwartz's actions, though. – DanF Jul 14 '16 at 18:34
  • For questions about the eruv, please e-mail board@ckibrooklyn.org. I strongly recommend that you email or call the Prospect shul, directly. Besides getting some further insight into this specific Eruv, you should be able to ask them, and, perhaps, Rabbi Schwartz, directly the exact questions that you've asked, here. Anyone else doing research for you would not give you the same aspect that you would get directly. – DanF Jul 14 '16 at 19:02
  • related http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/67590/759 – Double AA Jul 14 '16 at 22:28
  • @DanF I have done so. (I don't dare answer the question in view of this because the halachos involved are so complicated, but I did manage to make a decision for myself.) – SAH Aug 24 '16 at 04:20
  • @SAH I'd prob. have to arrange a chat to get an idea of what was discussed. Eruv halachot are extremely complex. But, I sense that in this case, there was a load of internal politics involved which probably could have been resolved in some way. It's interesting to note that, in U.S., at least, the Eruv is such an inconspicuous structure, yet it causes so much "hatred" between Jews - both between religious factions themselves as well as religious vs. secular Jews. I don't quite understand why things can't be resolved more nicely. – DanF Aug 24 '16 at 16:16
  • Update: A couple yeshivishe chareidim I have met do not hold by the Crown Heights eiruv, nor any eiruvim in Brooklyn. One of them leans left – SAH Jan 29 '17 at 18:50
  • See here for the opinion of Rabbi Benzion Wosner, av Beis Din Shevet Halevi of Monsey (he supports the eiruv): http://www.collive.com/show_news.rtx?id=41142 – SAH Feb 24 '17 at 04:26

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