A new audio recording taken at the secretive CUPON meeting and obtained by TLS further upends claims by some who have been saying that the meeting and its attendees opposition to the proposed Jackson Trails development was over environmental concerns.
In the clip, disgraced former planning board member Richard Egan can be heard telling other attendees that besides for other requirements which would need to be met to create such a development, residents of the development would also probably be installing “magic wires,”a comment to which other attendees can be heard chuckling at.
For those reading this that don’t know, the “magic wires” he was referring to is an eruv, a symbolic boundary created by putting up small pieces of string (such as chicken wire) in a particular area. Putting up an eruv allows religious Jews to carry items within that symbolic boundary on Saturdays and certain holidays, which they would otherwise not be permitted to do.
What this latest audio strongly suggests is twofold:
That the concerns of the CUPON meeting attendees were not solely environmental ones at all – if they were, discussion of eruv would never have taken place as it has no environmental impact.
Secondly, the laughing at the installation of an eruv, a uniquely Jewish practice, shows that the attendees at the very least find Jews and their customs to be something to laugh at.
The overall picture of blocking developments based on religion is dead wrong! However nit picking on every word they use is being a little too sensitive.i don’t see anything wrong with that terminology
True or false..the eruv is a way of extending ones home boundaries to other areas? You can obviously carry your children and objects in your home or push a stroller so if the wires go up it grows the boundary of your home to permit you to carry objiects. It’s a way of marking territory I’ve heard is there’re any truth to that?
Anyone can carry in anyone else’s property provided that its not a public domain. An eruv is a virtual wall which turns a public open area which cannot be carried in, into a private area for the use of all residents.
just to be sure, yes, this may considered as marking territory, but not in a possessive context. In other words, not as in, this is “MY” or “OUR” territory to the exclusion of others, rather that this territory is recognized as a unique area. That specification has significance only in regards to the jewish law prohibiting transfer from designated to non-designated areas on sabbath and select holidays.
Its important that we make others aware of this so as to ascertain that we arent “marking our territory” in the sense that its ours, a prospect that can obviously cause consternation.
FYI chicken wire is a fencing material; I think you meant to say fishing wire!
All fingers point to Reina…its all about religion
Egan hurt the town in many ways…stay tuned
@josh lot of technical details in how to have a valid eruv, but yeah that is the basically what it does. We use fishing string though.
@Lkwdr, I think you misunderstood @Josh. No, it does not extend your personal house or territory, rather, as @Mike eloquently explained.
Josh it’s not at all abt marking territory, its about not doing weekday sort of work on the Sabbath the day of rest. Carrying around your area isnt considered “working”. Anyways, maybe special for the anti Semites in office that magic wire can send a magical electric shock next time they mock other ppls practises…????????????
What I hear in the recording is a heated substantive discussion of a proposed large development. The “Magic Wire” is mentioned in passing as a way to introduce some levity. We cannot act all insulted when a non-orthodox Jew finds the concept of eiruv slightly comical. The way they see it, it is an area marked where Jews can violate the laws of Shabbos. You cannot force a non-jew to learn hilchos eiruvin. They find it comical. No big deal.