Southampton, NY – After a nearly decade-long feud and three different court cases, an eruv in Southampton is that much closer to becoming a reality, The New York Times reports (http://nyti.ms/27ZegMy).
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The East End Eruv Association, the force behind the push for the eruv since 2008, planned to drape the eruv along about 30 LIPA and Verizon utility poles, but Southampton and its two villages of Westhampton Beach and Quogue, opposed the move. A portion of the eruv has already been installed, but few in the town seem to have noticed.
In 2014, the U.S. District Court for the East District of New York stated that part of the eruv could be installed. “I’m overwhelmed since last summer, when I see these young families who can now comes to services with their children, or their parents, when they didn’t in the past,” Rabbi Marc Schneier of the Hampton Synagogue told the Times by phone.
But there are many opponents to the eruv, especially secular Jews, including Arnold Sheiffer of the groups Jewish People for the Betterment of Westhampton Beach and Jewish People Opposed to the Eruv, who says the eruv will “create another ghetto” in the Hamptons.
“As a reform Jew, I find it extremely offensive to create a distinction that this is a Jewish area,” he said. “The courts have been wrong before. Black people couldn’t sit at lunch counters, and women couldn’t vote and abortions were illegal. Case law isn’t always right.”
Other concerns about having an eruv center around the fear that after Lawrence and East Ramapo installed eruvim and the Orthodox Jewish community grew, stores began to close on Saturdays, and issues with public schools developed.
“We’ve only got 10 weeks a year to make a living, so every day counts,” said Kevin Mathews, who works at his mother’s boutique. Mathews said he was worried there would be less business on Saturdays if the eruv was put up.
Southampton town supervisor, Jay Schneiderman, said he is glad a settlement has been reached regarding the eruv. “This barrier created a lot of barriers, and now that it’s behind us, I hope people can start to come together again.”
On vey. A once clean, pristine town where everyone takes care of their property is in for a huge culture shock. Hampton folk protect the environment, don’t litter and are friendly folk.
This rabbi is a shanda with 4 or 5 wives and many affairs.
Will they be taking over the school board now, cutting art, music and sports and building illegal yeshivas? Look at the history in Ramapo and Lawrence. What about the beaches? Separate days for men and women?
Could anyone imagine the uproar if this was about trying to prevent a Kentucky Fried Chicken from opening because of the type of people that tend to patronize a KFC?
Arnold Sheiffer sounds like the self hating Jew who wants to be more goyish than the pope and will do and say anything so a frum Jew should suffer.
It is quite clear why Rabbi Marc Schneier is so happy about this. Now he can walk to shul on shabbos with a box of Viagra pills in his pocket.
I’m shocked at the shameless anti-frum comments. Talk about self-hating Jews. You should all be ashamed of yourselves.
I can only tell you what happened in my community when a Eruv was installed. Suddenly families were going to Shul Sat.morning. Children were playing in the local parks Sat afternoon. The food business that went “kosher”, experienced booming business. A sleepy suburb of Boston suddenly became alive. Our streets are clean, our crime is low- orthodox Jews dont break into homes or cars. So, I am confused, what is the down side??
Just picture 25 African american families moving into some nice quite summer home development like Twin Oaks in south fallsburg or in woodbridge. Would everyone be so happy about that? Well thats how the guys in the Hamptons feel like.
Kol hakovod to all those who worked so hard to make this a reality so that heimeshe yidden have a realistic alternative to those putrid bungalow colonies in “the mountains”. We can expect that many chareidi families, both Litvish and perhaps some Chassidish as well, will be heading out to the Hamptons rather than schlepping up the NY Thruway evev Shabbos.