Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

Central Florida continues to see an influx of observant families. In response to a growing need for Jewish families seeking affordable housing, attractive schooling options, warmer winters and lower taxes, a new 14-mile eruv has been established. Over the past year, local real estate executive Jacob Hara with the assistance of two rabbis from south Florida and under the supervision of Rabbi Sholom Ber Dubov of Chabad of Greater Orlando, investigated, planned and established this eruv.

What is an eruv? An eruv is a symbolic or physical enclosure that surrounds the Jewish community.

Technically the eruv should be a wall. However, a wall does not have to be solid. Therefore, the eruv enclosure may be created by telephone poles, for example, which act as the vertical part of a door post in a wall, with the existing cables strung between the poles acting as the lintel of the doorframe. Added to that there may be existing natural boundaries and fences.

The eruv in Central Florida is designated by mechitzas - partitions using a combination of poles, strings and wood - which are unobtrusively set up along portions of Howell Branch Road, Redbug Lake Road, Aloma Ave., Dodd Road and Oxford Road. Rabbi Dubov will be responsible for inspecting the mechitzas on a weekly basis.

Why have an eruv? Under Jewish law, carrying on the Sabbath is allowed within the eruv because the entire area within it is considered as if it is a single property.

Benefits to the community include, young families are now able to use strollers to move about within the eruv; attendance in synagogue has increased; children's programs during services are well attended and expanding; more Jewish families are anticipated to move within the eruv.

During recent years, the local Jewish Community has witnessed tremendous growth, including, schools from pre-k through middle school (roughly 800 students), kosher restaurants, groceries, and mikvahs.

The new eruv, which targets a variety of neighborhoods and price points, follows the rising interest in Central Florida. Orlando has become one of the most sought after destinations for Jewish holidays in the country, with an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 Jews traveling to the area annually for Passover and Sukkot.

For more information, please go to http://www.withintheeruv.com or email Jacob Hara at jhara@pioneerflorida.com.