The Teaneck eruv’s northern border has recently been extended further into New Milford, opening more of that neighborhood to the frum community. Since its inception in the 1970s, the eruv has been modified many times, in various directions. Previously, the northern edge of the eruv was at Graphic Boulevard and River Road.
With this extension, the eruv now ends at Madison Avenue in New Milford. The last extensive expansion was to the southern border, reaching Fort Lee Road in Bogota.
Rabbi Michael Taubes, rav of Teaneck’s Congregation Zichron Mordechai and a rosh yeshiva at Yeshiva University and MTA, is a longtime member of the Teaneck eruv committee and he spoke with The Jewish Link about the extension. “With people now moving into areas further away from the original neighborhoods, there was a need to expand northward. Upon investigation, we saw that we could extend the eruv deeper into New Milford without an excessive amount of work.” Much of the legwork for this project was done over the summer so that everything would be ready before the Yamim Noraim.
New Milford’s Alan Gorenstein, who, together with his wife, Faigy, made a significant donation toward the eruv expansion in memory of their fathers who both recently passed away, shared their motivation: “The northward extension of the Teaneck eruv speaks to both the growth and the strength of our community. Faigy and I hope that expanding the eruv north will enable home-seekers to find more affordable choices during a time when housing availability is slowing.”
The Teaneck eruv is close to 50 years old and has been “upgraded over the last few summers. We try to follow the standards of Yeshiva University Rosh Yeshiva and Rosh Kollel Rav Hershel Schachter, a world-renowned halachic expert,” said Rabbi Taubes. The members of the eruv committee, made up of other community rabbis as well as lay volunteers, are fastidious about the upkeep of the eruv. Though often inconvenient, with emergency investigations sometimes required on Erev Shabbat into compromised areas, one of the rebbeim is always on hand to ensure that the eruv is operative and halachically kosher. “There is a lot of work that goes into the upkeep and maintenance of the eruv, as well as the map and website, which are now in the process of being updated,” Rabbi Taubes explained.
“Eruvin are so popular today that, unfortunately, people take them for granted. But it’s something you have to think about before buying a house,” he continued.
This most recent extension will hopefully sustain the greater Teaneck/Bergenfield/New Milford community for some time and increase accessibility for new families looking to make these vibrant communities their home.
For more information and a full map of the eruv, visit www.tberuv.org.
By Michal Rosenberg
