A plan to build an Eruv in central Boulder hit a speed bump last night, but the Boulder City Council still offered its blessing.
Some members of the Boulder City Council took issue with the proposal to grant a lease to Congregation Aish Kodesh to build an eruv. After lengthy debate, the council voted 5-2 to approve the eruv.
City Councilman Macon Cowles argued against the lease. “There have been people important in my life whose very lives in the United States came from their having fought against the regimes in Europe that required them to live within certain boundaries, required Jews to live within certain places,” Cowles said. “I believe that there are many people who would be offended with the idea that we are going to take a demarcation for religious purposes to make it convenient for a community to abide by a rule that’s 4,000 years old.”
By the end of the debate, City Councilman Matt Appelbaum said he thought concerns about the eruv had been addressed – and approving the lease will make life better for many in Boulder’s Jewish community, he said.
Rachel Sacks came to tell the City Council that the eruv would greatly improve the quality of life for observant Jews living in Boulder.
Today, she said, she and her husband take turns going on walks on the Sabbath, because one of them has to stay home to look after the children, whom they’re forbidden from carrying.
(Source: Daily Camera)
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4 Responses
Congratulations to Congregation Aish Kodesh on their efforts and to the Boulder City Council for their appropriate response. Someone should tell the Kehilla out there that Dr. Bert Miller of Baltimore wrote the definitive English language book on Eruv construction about 25 years ago. Dr. Miller says that his book has been used by over 150 major cities and communities.
Sounds like comment number one was written by bert miller himself
It seems that when the rabbonim pasken the eruv is kosher,the local politicians try to stop it,and when the local government OK’s it, rabbonim asser it.
I hope the eruv covers the Pearl Street Mall so the people using the eruv can interact with all the interesting people who hang out there.