Earlier this year, the Westhampton Beach Village Board wrestled with whether to approve an eruv. Several heated village board meetings later, Rabbi Marc Schneier of the Hampton Synagogue suspended the request until the fall.
Now the issue has been revived by an advertisement placed in a local weekly newspaper — and just in time for Friday’s mayoral election that pits Tim Laube against incumbent Mayor Conrad Teller.
“The erection of an Eruv will proclaim us as an Orthodox Jewish Community for all time,” warned the ad, adding that a vote for Laube would be a vote for the eruv. Craig Middleton, of Quogue, one of the ad sponsors, declined to comment Wednesday.
The advertisement creates a problem for Teller, who said it makes him look like a bigot. And it ignores the fact that he, too, supports creating an eruv.
Teller, a former village police chief, plans to meet with the village attorney and discuss the legal ramifications of the request to put up an eruv. Eruvs usually involve legal agreements because they involve putting markers on utility poles.
“First, I have the election to get through,” Teller said. “I’m so angry with these suckers [who took out the ad] that what I’d really like to do is hand a proclamation to the rabbi and let them sue me.”
(Source: Newsday)
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7 Responses
As much as I hate to scream “Anti-Simitism” when a Jewish agenda conflicts with the feelings of the surrounding community and is opposed, given the protaginist in this case (a very modern Orthodox rabbi and his congregation, someone who has made it a religious mission to reach out in friendship to the non-Jewish world and build bridges with them) opposition to this eruv can not be explained except to label it anti-semitism.
My Goodness.. An Eruv? Schneir?? this family of Menuvallim that disgraces shuls with pritzsus and avodas zarah(i.e. the pope) and we should care if they have an eruv? Great Idea to draw attention in the name of Jewishness..
I don’t know anything about Westhampton Beach, but in my experience the opponents to an eiruv are usually irreligious Jews more than goyim. Self-hating Jews are hard to call anti-Semites.
cantoresq — No need to be apologetic about calling a spade a spade.
my zaida from poland once said “the worst anti shemit is a yidisha anti shemit ” hashem yerachaim..may the one above save us…
we dont outside soniem ..we have r supply ..unfotunately
you guys should all stop thinking about yourselves and understand the rest of the world a bit.. i was in the hamptons last shabbat and it was beautiful.. i think its amazing that they have a minyan there in someones house.. the rabbi even told us what page to read i never experienced anything like it!! quite an experience.. you people who are saying all this blasphemy should go try it yourself and then come back to me!!