Bais Chabad Dinner
Benefits Israel
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Synagogue List
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Torah Portion
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In The Loop
Shabbat-observant West Bloomfield residents expand eruv to include those south of Maple Road.
RICHARD DORFMAN
Special to the Jewish News
Zedek Bnai Israel Center, Keter Torah
Synagogue, Temple Kol Ami and
Temple Israel.
111
Planning For The Eruv
ost people who travel
through West
Bloomfield never even
notice the wiring that
surrounds parts of the township.
But for Shabbat-observant Jews
who obey the prohibition against car-
tying items between a public and pri-
vate domain on Shabbat, the unobtru-
sive enclosure makes all the difference
in the world.
The carrying of items is one of the •
39 activities prohibited on Shabbat,
based on those activities used to build
the Holy Temple.
As in many Jewish communities, a
portion of West Bloomfield is sur-
rounded by an eruv, an enclosure that
combines private and public domain
into a single "private" sector within
which carrying is permitted. In West
Bloomfield, the eruv is comprised pri-
marily of pre-existing utility wiring
and some added fishing line.
Within an eruv, those who need a
stroller or a wheelchair to go to syna-
gogue or to a neighbor's home may
use them. Items ranging from children
to tallit bags may be carried. "We can
bring books for study and toys for
play to synagogue, and the kids can
play ball and enjoy the outdoors with-
out violating the Shabbat," said Dr.
Howard Korman of West Bloomfield.
He and his wife, Michal, and four
young sons know the difference
between living outside and living
within the eruv area.
Expanding The Eruv
While for many years there have been
eruvim in Oak Park, Southfield and
West Bloomfield, until last fall, there
was no eruv that included the area
between the Korman home east of
Farmington Road and south of Maple
and their synagogue, Ohel Moed of
Shomrey Emunah, which is north of
Maple on Farmington Road.
2/28
2003
50
Dr. Howard Korman, in hip waders, and son Jacob, 9, of West Bloomfield
survey the land for the eruv expansion.
"Howard approached me and asked
if we could go to work on expanding
the eruv area," said Rabbi Eli Jundef of
Ohel Moed, who served as halachic
(Jewish law) adviser on the original
project and continues to maintain the
standard of the eruv.
Dr. Korman then joined the West
Bloomfield Eruv Committee, a com-
munity group, overseen by its president,
Dan Mendelson of West Bloomfield.
The group, established in early 1998 by
Ohel Moed members, was instrumental
in the planning and maintenance of the
original eruv that became operational in
December 1998.
The original eruv ran from the east
side of Drake Road to the west side of
Orchard Lake Road and from Walnut
Lake to Maple roads, covering roughly a
two-square-mile area.
The expansion, operational since the
fall of 2002, extends it south to 14 Mile
Road between the east side of
Farmington Road and the west side of
Orchard Lake Road, adding about one
square mile. Synagogues within the eruv
are Ohel Moed, Congregation Shaarey
'All areas included in the eruv must be
traversable by foot," Rabbi Jundef
said. "So the first step was to scout out
the potential area of the expansion by
walking it, which I did with one of
our members, P.J. Cherrin [of West
Bloomfield]. Howard Korman and
Sanford Schulman [of West
Bloomfield] later joined us — all of us
in our hip waders — since a lot of the
area is wetlands."
Once the land had been surveyed
and the area of the eruv expansion had
been determined, the issue of the
actual enclosure came into play.
Since the expansion was always a
possibility, Rabbi Jundef and Dr.
Korman had its plans approved by the
township along with the original plans
in 1998, allowing them to bypass this
step for the extension.
Most of the expansion is made up
of aboveground utility wires and poles
that were already in place. Temple
Israel member Larry Brown of West
Bloomfield negotiated the cost with
Detroit Edison workers, who added
ground molding where necessary.
Fishing line was used to include areas
that were not already connected with
the wires.
After all the wires were in place,
permission was obtained by home-
owners, real estate agents and condo-
minium associations for a tree pruning
service to trim the trees that leaned on
the wires.
Brown and Dr. Korman also sur-
veyed the land that could eventually
connect the eruy with a second eruv
in West Bloomfield, in use by mem-
bers of Sara Tugman Bais Chabad
Torah Center, east of Ohel Moed's.
As treasurer of the Ohel Moed Eruv
Committee, Dr. Korman raised
$5,500 toward the cost of making the
eruv extension operational.
"Contributions were made by peo-