By Joel Magalnick, Editor, JTNews
…That Mercer Island has an eruv built around it? It’s true, and here’s a primer on the boundary that allows for an easier observance of Shabbat and the holidays.
Who’s it for? Anybody who observes Shabbat. The eruv creates a boundary that binds several private and public areas into a single domain, allowing the carrying of items such as food or the pushing of strollers where they might otherwise not be permitted.
When was it erected? The Mercer Island eruv was, after several years of delay, originally completed early last year. The eruv’s construction was supervised by Rabbi Natti Greenblatt of Memphis, Tenn., who has been in the eruv business for more than 60 years. At this point, Rabbi Greenblatt, Elie Pieprz, who is maintaining the eruv under the auspices of Congregation Shevet Achim, and a team of volunteer inspectors have deemed it ready for prime time. A dedication of the eruv will be held on Sun., Feb 8.
Why build an eruv on Mercer Island? Why not? The rock, as the locals call it, is home to many Jewish families and two synagogues — one Conservative and one Orthodox. It’s also got the JCC, the Northwest Yeshiva High School, the kosher Albertson’s, and a new kosher pizza place. Many of the observant families that live on Mercer Island do so because they want to be within walking distance of their shul, and Elie Pieprz sees it as a way for those families to take their Shabbat observance to a higher level.
Does it go all the way around the island? Not quite. It’s northern border is at SE 40th St., a couple of miles south of the rock’s big toe, and then does a bit of zig-zagging along perimeter and interior roads. Check out the map here to see its path.
What does an eruv consist of and where can I see it? There are standards set in Jewish law of what makes an eruv kosher. The Pieprzes have ensured that the Mercer Island eruv meets the highest standards, and the physical border is inspected on a regular basis. It took so long for Mercer Island to get a working eruv because the hilly topography, vegetation and varying sizes of utility poles, combined with inclement weather, made its construction more difficult than other, more urban areas. The eruv hangs high, but if you check out the map, and then look really hard, you can probably see it.
Is the eruv “turned on” all the time? If it’s not Shabbat, there’s hardly a need for an eruv, is there? So no, the eruv is not always up. You’ll know that the eruv is up when the remaining ends are connected together, completing a continuous, unbroken boundary. But you don’t have to go to the source to check — you can simply contact Elie Pieprz at [email protected], or you can get yourself on the mailing list of the Va’ad HaRabanim of Greater Seattle at www.seattlevaad.org. They send out an e-mail every Friday morning to let you know whether the Mercer Island eruv or the Seward Park eruv is up or down for that Shabbat.