The Town of Richmond Hill has unanimously endorsed the creation of a symbolic Jewish District that some call an important step toward being inclusive of the town’s local Orthodox Jewish community.
The new Richmond Hill Eruv, carried out at no cost to the town, will be a district in which traditional Jews are allowed to carry items — as well as children or medication — on the Sabbath.
Talmudic law prohibits carrying objects outside of private spaces during the Sabbath, which can force persons with disabilities or families with young children to stay within their homes. This restriction significantly impacts the enjoyment of the family-oriented day for those affected, said the district’s proposal from the Toronto Eruv Committee (TEC), a community organization which operates a similar district in the City of Toronto.
To deal with the restriction, Jewish organizations worldwide have created eruvim, which act as community-sized private domains that are considered an exception to the prohibition. Now, Richmond Hill joins the Cities of Toronto, Markham and Vaughan, which also host eruvim.
“As a Jewish woman, I am so proud of my town for coming with no hesitation in support of the Jewish community,” said local activist Karen Cilevitz, who was approached by TEC, to spearhead the proposal. “It’s a manner in which the town and region help make the Orthodox Jewish community an integral part of the municipality.”
Boundaries are typically marked by geographic features such as hedges, roads, hydro lines or rivers. In Richmond Hill’s case, the eruv will be bounded by Major Mackenzie Drive to the north and Highway 407 to the south.
Where no boundary is readily apparent, such as at Yonge Street and High Tech Road, inconspicuous wires that carry no current will be hung between hydro poles. Organizers say the Richmond Hill Eruv will eventually encompass the whole town and connect to the GTA’s other eruvim.
TEC will take on all the expenses related to maintaining the district, including putting up any boundaries and inspecting them for breakages.