# Eruvim and Property Rights **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 21, 2002, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eruvim-and-property-rights/124948 "2002-08-21T17:18:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DocHopper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DocHopper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocHopper)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eruvim-and-property-rights/124948/1 "2002-08-21T17:18:52Z")
IANAJ, but as I understand, an eruv is a religiously sanctioned public area where Orthodox Jews are allowed to do certain things on Sabbath which they normally can only do in private residences. In a city typically the area is demarcated by utility poles, power lines and wire/twine which serve as symbolic “walls” and “doorways”. A debate over setting up an eruv in London is discussed at length in this GD thread: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=130310&highlight=Eruv](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=130310&highlight=Eruv) In doing further reading I was surprised to learn that eruvim are widespread in the US, having been created in over 100 cities containing 10+ million people. I also read that creating an eruv involves “buying the rights to establish an eruv from the local government” and that resolutions are adopted by the government to faciliate all this: [http://www.baisyisroel.org/map\_of\_minneapolis\_eruv.htm](http://www.baisyisroel.org/map_of_minneapolis_eruv.htm) My question is this: In creating an eruv, what “rights” are bought and who are they given to? Are legal contracts being signed and money exchanged, or is it more informal? As a side question, what is the role of power companies- do they get paid to help set up eruv lines, or do they do it for free? I hope I am not coming across as anti-eruv; I am genuinely curious about a phenomenon which is evidently widespread and affects millions yet is not well known. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eruvim-and-property-rights/124948/2 "2002-08-21T17:54:32Z")
From the website of the Boston Eruv (underlining is mine): > [@](#): > > We created a certificate-sized document attesting to the fact that for the transfer of 1 silver dollar between the Greater Boston Eruv Corporation and each of the entities with whom we needed to create the lease, that the area within the Eruv would belong to the GBEC for only the purpose of carrying on Shabbat and Yom Tov that falls on Shabbat and Yom Kippur. Lots more information very relevant to your questions are in their FAQ at [http://www.bostoneruv.org/faq.htm](http://www.bostoneruv.org/faq.htm) [shameless plug] Google is incredible. That was the very first site suggested when I simply entered “boston eruv”. [/shameless plug] ---
**Author:** ![DocHopper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DocHopper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocHopper)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eruvim-and-property-rights/124948/3 "2002-08-21T18:13:16Z")
Great FAQ, Keeve, thanks! I did do a google search, BTW, but my local eruv did not have a FAQ nearly as good as yours… Interesting (and smart) that they have liability insurance…