Eruv – What is the Wire Around Squirrel Hill Called?
You may have heard of the Eruv, but what is the wire surrounding Squirrel Hill? This article will provide you with an explanation. In addition, you will learn about the Consecrated wall and its significance. Then, you can decide whether the Eruv is necessary in your neighborhood. Here are some common questions about the Eruv. Its purpose is to mark Jewish boundaries. Its name derives from the Hebrew word “eruv,” meaning “circle.”
Eruv
In Pittsburgh, you might have seen an eruv wire running on telephone poles and streetlights. This is the Aurora eruv. This wire zigzags across the streets, making three hard turns at major intersections. In some images, you might even see it on a map of the city. The wire is a connection from the synagogue to the city, and the artist says the eruv is not only functional, but beautiful.
The eruv wire is a symbolic barrier around a safe zone for observant Jews. In Pittsburgh, it’s a 20-mile loop that is indistinguishable from power lines. It is maintained by an eruv committee that is available for questions and concerns. Hundreds of other Orthodox synagogues in the city also have eruv wires around their properties.
Consecrated wall
The consecrated wall around Squirrel Hill, a neighborhood in Berkeley, allows orthodox Jews to go outside and do work on the Sabbath without violating Jewish dietary laws. The wall is made of telephone poles and wires, but it still allows orthodox Jews to walk in and out of the area. The area contains three Jewish day schools, two affiliated with the Modern Orthodox movement and one with the Chabad movement. Another coed school, the Community Day School, attracts families of all Jewish faiths. There are over 20 synagogues on Squirrel Hill.
Prior to being incorporated into the United States, Squirrel Hill was home to several indigenous groups. The first recorded home was built by a soldier at nearby Fort Pitt, Colonel James Burd, in the early 1760s. The next house, built by Ambrose Newton in the 1770s, still stands in Schenley Park today. The intersection of Beechwood Boulevard and Brown’s Hill Road became the neighborhood’s first “business district.”
Eruv string
What is an eruv? It is a thin string of metal strung from telephone poles, forming a virtual boundary around a Jewish community. It’s also called a “mizrach” – a Jewish term meaning ‘enclosure.’ It is used by Orthodox Jews to carry certain items outside their homes on the Sabbath and Yom Kippur.
In some cases, an eruv is more extensive than a regular fence, and it’s often painted over a street. This kind of eruv is especially important in cities, such as Pittsburgh, where US Highway 376 cuts through the neighborhood. Schachter has painted a series of eruv images in an abstract way, overlapping the string’s images. These works have become an important part of the city’s halachic code.
In Pittsburgh, the eruv stretches from Regent Square to Schenley Park, with a portion of it extending into Bloomfield. Within this area is the Tree of Life synagogue, where the Oct. 27 synagogue massacre occurred. Rabbi Silver had to be escorted by police to perform his weekly inspection. And the eruv is now being expanded to include more neighborhoods, including Oakland, Shadyside, and Bloomfield.
Eruv pole
In 1993, the Steel Industry Heritage Corp. commissioned an ethnographic study of Squirrel Hill and Greenfield, Pennsylvania, about eruvs. Rabbi Silver was initially reluctant to publicize the eruv, for fear it would attract attention from other cities. But Rabbi Silver soon realized that the eruv had a positive impact on the community and had been a key factor in establishing a safe zone.
The eruv pole around Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, runs through parts of Greenfield, Regent Square, and Point Breeze, and stretches down Forbes Avenue. After the eruv crosses the Monongahela River, it snakes up Browns Hill Road and briefly dips into Schenley Park before winding its way back around Wilkins Avenue. This is an excellent example of the value of eruv installation and maintenance.
What is the wire around Squirrel Hill called?
Answer 1: The wire around Squirrel Hill is called the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail.
How long is the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail?
Answer 2: The Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail is 3.
8 miles long.
When was the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail built?
Answer 3: The Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail was built in 2003.
Who built the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail?
Answer 4: The Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail was built by the Port Authority of Allegheny County.
What is the purpose of the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail?
Answer 5: The purpose of the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail is to provide a safe off-road route for pedestrians and cyclists.
Where is the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail located?
Answer 6: The Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail is located in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.
Is the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail open to the public?
Answer 7: Yes the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail is open to the public.
What is the best time of year to use the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail?
Answer 8: The best time of year to use the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail is during the spring and fall when the weather is milder.
Does the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail have any lights?
Answer 9: No the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail does not have any lights.
Does the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail have any benches?
Answer 10: Yes the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail has benches located at regular intervals along the trail.
Does the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail have any water fountains?
Answer 11: No the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail does not have any water fountains.
Does the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail have any restrooms?
Answer 12: No the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail does not have any restrooms.
What is the estimated daily usage of the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail?
Answer 13: The estimated daily usage of the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail is 1500 people.
What is the speed limit on the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail?
Answer 14: The speed limit on the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail is 10 mph.
Are dogs allowed on the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail?
Answer 15: Yes dogs are allowed on the Squirrel Hill Trolley Trail but they must be on a leash at all times.
Jessica Watson is a PHD holder from the University of Washington. She studied behavior and interaction between squirrels and has presented her research in several wildlife conferences including TWS Annual Conference in Winnipeg.
