Tenafly Eruv

AJC: The American Jewish Committee welcomed the decision of elected officials in Tenafly, New Jersey, after a six-year battle, to finally allow the construction of an "eruv."An eruv uses existing utility poles and wires to circumscribe an area where Orthodox Jews can exercise their religious liberty to observe the Sabbath......"The erection of an eruv, which critically affects the ability of Orthodox Jews to live in a particular community, does not violate the First Amendment's Establishment Clause," AJC wrote in an amicus brief filed with the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals. The court upheld the constitutionality of the eruv, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the ruling. The Tenafly Borough Council voted 5-0 this week to allow the eruv to stand, putting an end to the controversy.The Orthodox community built the eruv with the consent of Bergen County, but for years the town of Tenafly had denied the use of its utility poles and ordered the eruv taken down. "Local officials should never be allowed to manipulate town laws to keep certain groups out," said AJC General Counsel Jeffrey Sinensky. “This was always simply a matter of religious accommodation, not an issue of the government endorsing a particular religion in any way.”