The eruv has a significant and important role in the Orthodox Jewish community on the Sabbath and is often invisible to the eye. An eruv allows this community of faith to walk with a stroller to carry a young family to synagogue and handle similar tasks that would otherwise not be permitted on the Sabbath. We know that with an eruv, those who observe will have an increased quality of life in New Jersey.

During my time as a councilman-at-large in the City of Englewood, we took action; we supported the expansion of the eruv to embrace the majority of the city. Our governing body acted to keep our community inclusive, diverse and accepting of who we are and how we pray.

The recent opposition to the construction of an eruv in Mahwah is troubling. Our great country, at a foundational level, was created to allow for religious freedoms. These liberties are enshrined in the Bill of Rights and these freedoms are a cornerstone of our Constitution. We should not allow a municipal ordinance to veil anti-Semitism and be used as a tool against a community of faith.

Gordon M. Johnson

Assemblyman, District 37

Englewood, New Jersey