Synagogues, Mikvoth & Eruv

According to the Torah, on Sabbath, religious Jews are not allowed to move or carry anything outside their homes. However, there are exceptions to these strict Sabbath rules. The private domain can be extended to the yard and even other houses. The area must be somehow demarcated from its surroundings, either by a wall or fence of some sort and it must be used jointly. The joint use manifests itself in the form of an “Eruv”.

As of now the Eruv, which existed prior to the Nazi era, is back in Vienna. The new Eruv in Vienna extends from the inner district to the Danube. The boundaries of the new Eruv in Vienna are 25 kilometers long. The planning process for this endeavor lasted for nine years. People were looking to incorporate already existing walls, fences, wires and also natural boundaries such as the Danube. Existing wires including tram wires and such were used to surround the whole Eruv leaving no gaps in between.

Currently, there are 150 Eruvim around the world, excluding Israel. In Israel alone, the number of Eruvim is even higher. The Jewish religious community checks regularly if the Eruv is still intact. It can only be considered kosher if there are no gaps in between. The exact boundaries of the new Eruv in Vienna and its status can be found using the link www.eruv.at

Donations for the Vienna Eiruv:
Receiver: Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien (Project Eruv)

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