4. 1

metro

'Running The 14 res

Multi-faceted group helps make sure West Bloomfield eruv is operational.

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Shelli Liebman Dorfman
Contributing Writer

C

hances are the AT&T and DTE
electricians and installers who
worked tirelessly to clear the way
and install wires for the West Bloomfield
eruv, never heard the word before they
became a part of the project. Ditto for a
pair of Chaldean businessmen who unex-
pectedly also became involved.
But the eruv — a ritual enclosure
around a residential area allowing obser-
vant Jews to carry items and push wheel-
chairs and strollers on Shabbat and holi-
days — is an important inclusion for many
in the area.
"Torah law prohibits us from carrying
in public areas on Shabbos," said Rabbi
Elimelech Silberberg of the Sara and
Morris Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center.
An eruv encloses a public area by virtue
of cables or other crossbars that envelope a
geographic area from all four sides trans-
forming it to what Halachah (Jewish law)
considers to be a private domain:'
Each week, websites for synagogues
whose members use the eruv announce if it
is up and operational. This past winter, with
increased frequency, the eruv surrounding
Ohel Moed of Shomrey Emunah in West
Bloomfield was down, prompting members
to initiate repairs and revitalizations.
The eruv is comprised of wires, includ-
ing high-strength fishing line as well as
existing telephone or cable TV bundles,
running between utility poles or privately
owned fences and posts.
"Part of my task was to explain this
crazy 'Jewish fence' thing [to installers and
area business owners]:' said Ohel Moed
member Moses Fridman, treasurer and
project manager for the West Bloomfield
Eruv Committee (WBEC).
"They were surprisingly understand-
ing and respectful of it:' Fridman said. "I
also had to explain it to a West Bloomfield
police officer. He was called by a home-
owner who thought I was suspicious
because I was trimming some brush away
from our line. He was fascinated.
"Detroit Archers allowed us to use their
property fence and driveway to form part
of the eruv. Another gentleman approved
us going into his side-yard to tend to our
line"
The committee also needed to run a line
near a building on Orchard Lake north of
Maple. "We contacted Saad Hajjar, former
chairman of the Chaldean Chamber of
Commerce who we were told, incorrectly,
owned the building; Fridman said. "He

Rabbi Rosskamm inspects a pole on Orchard Lake near 14 Mile this past winter.

DTE electrician, Gerry Mousseau, works on the eruv.

kindly pointed us to Chaldean business
owner Phil Mansour, who owns DKI
Demolition, and is an owner of the build-
ing.
"Phil was generous in allowing us the
use of his parking lot, light poles and back
fence to form part of the eruv bound-

ary. Both Saad and Phil were very warm
and happy to help, and gave us words of
encouragement, expressing friendship to
the Jewish community of West Bloomfield.
By allowing the West Bloomfield eruv to
run through his property, Phil saved us
substantial time and expense'

Hidden Wires?
Unnoticed by most, the West Bloomfield
eruv compasses an area of 2.6 square
miles with a perimeter of eight miles,
running from Walnut Lake to 14 Mile
roads, and from Orchard Lake to Drake
roads, looping to include buildings on the
north side of Walnut Lake near Orchard
Lake.
The eruv surrounds B'nai Israel
Synagogue, Keter Torah Synagogue,
Mesivta of West Bloomfield, Ohel Moed,
Temple Kol Ami, Temple Shir Shalom and
Temple Israel.
The West Bloomfield eruv, initiated in
1998, started small and grew as the com-
munity grew and is now connected to a
second eruv that was initiated 20 years
ago by Bais Chabad members, running
from 14 Mile to Maple roads and from
Middlebelt to Orchard Lake roads.
"The Shul [Chabad-Lubavitch] is plan-
ning an eruv, which when built would
connect to our western border on Drake
and would include the JCC," Fridman said.
Through the years, the damage and
wear and tear have caused the West
Bloomfield eruv to be in disrepair.
"But we didn't know how bad it was
until we asked Rabbi Aharon Yechiel
Rosskamm from the Mesivta to do a close
inspection and consult on the design and
Halachah [this past December];' Fridman
said. "He found about 100 issues to repair:
mostly tree limbs and utility poles that
had cracked and missing, misaligned lech-
is [thin tubing used as eruv connectors].
"Tree growth had rendered most of
Walnut Lake leg posul [halachically inval-
id] by pushing the AT&T cables we are
using for the boundary:' he said.
In February, utility company surveys
began. Repairs were performed by utility
company workers, along with Ohel Moed
volunteers, who spent hundreds of hours
working on the project, which was com-
pleted in June.
Two work days included Thanksgiving
and right before Passover when Bais
Chabad volunteers came to help.
"The eruv project has greatly benefited
our community, as we have taken an eruv
that had gone into major disrepair, and are
transforming it into a eruv that everyone
can rely on for its proper kosher status:' said
Rosskamm, a tutor and dormitory supervi-
sor at the Mesivta yeshivah. He was referred
to Ohel Moed's Rabbi Eli Meyer Jundef by
Rabbi Pinchus Neuberger, Mesivta prin-
cipal, because of his background as rabbi,
inspector and maintenance supervisor for
eruvim in various states.

Wires on page 32

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August 14 • 2014

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