Chanoch Ehrentreu - The Eruv Controversy

The Eruv Controversy

In March 2003, after many years, Ehrentreu successfully negotiated the construction of an eruv in London. The eruv itself is an 11-mile enclosure in northwest London encompassing some of the city's Jewish neighborhoods, including Golders Green and Hendon, plus much of Hampstead Garden Suburb and some of Finchley.

Although established with the help of Rabbi Alan Kimche, Rabbi Jeremy Conway and others, its halachic validity was strongly contested by many other prominent London Rabbis. The controversy was re-ignited in 2008, when supporters of the eruv distributed brochures to local Jewish homes, which aimed to demonstrate the eruv's halachic validity. The rabbinic opponents of the eruv were unconvinced, and reiterated their position that usage of the eruv amounts to a desecration of the sabbath.

Notwithstanding the controversy over the North West London eruv, its establishment set a precedent, with eruvs having now been established in Elstree/Borehamwood and Stanmore under the supervision of the London Beth Din and with Dayan Ehrentreu's guidance in Edgware.

Following Dayan Ehrentreu's lead, Eruvs have been planned for other Jewish communities throughout England, notably in Manchester, where the plans are supported by the leading Haredi authority, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneebalg of the Machzikei Hadass community. However, an attempt to construct an eruv in the Haredi community of Stamford Hill in 2008 was scuppered due to the fierce opposition of Rabbi Ephraim Padwa, the principle rabbinic authority for the UOHC, the umbrella organisation for London's Haredi community.