A powerful twister that swept through the region this past week has left the St. Louis kehilla without a functioning eruv.
The 14-mile perimeter eruv sustained extensive damage as utility poles and wire — essential components of the eruv — were toppled or torn from the ground and scattered across major roads. The sudden loss has effectively left residents “locked in” for Shabbos, unable to carry strollers, tallis bags, or other items outside their homes.
In response, emergency efforts are already underway. Rabbi Paretzky of Skokie, a renowned eruv expert with decades of experience across North America, was brought in to lead the urgent repairs and planning. While the eruv will not be operational for Shabbos Parshas Behar-Bechukosai, Rabbi Paretzky and his team are working to create a more resilient, multi-zone system designed to minimize future disruptions.
“Right now, the entire city’s halachic mobility is compromised,” Rabbi Paretzky said. “But with careful planning, this can be an opportunity to rebuild stronger — both halachically and structurally.”
The new design will prioritize storm resistance and halachic redundancy, ensuring that if one section is damaged in the future, the entire eruv will not be rendered unusable.
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4 Responses
My sympathies to all this who suffered losses from the tornado.
Let’s not get carried away here. I understand the issue with strollers, but to imply that everyone is locked in because they can’t carry a talis bag or other items is a bit much. People can either wear their talis or keep it in shul which is likely done by most people in that city.
It’s actually a good teaching opportunity for the children to learn about the issur of hotza’ah, which many who grow up in an area with an eruv are not fully aware of.
“he sudden loss has effectively left residents “locked in” for Shabbos, unable to carry strollers, tallis bags, or other items outside their homes.”
Really? Eruv is a convenience that many out of town communities don’t have or didn’t have for years. I’m not sure what exactly you NEED to carry on Shabbos. You can wear your tallis. I’ve gotten through my entire life without carrying on Shabbos (1st 13 years I didn’t have an Eiruv) and never considered it a calamity as this article makes it out to be. I still don’t carry in an Eruv on Shabbos for keduashas Shabbos, but I won’t put that on my wife and kids.
While it’s terrible that the Eruv was destroyed, saying that people are now “locked in” is a bit of a stretch. Jews have lived in many places for thousands of years without community-wide Eruvim and gotten along just fine. There are even places today that don’t have an Eruv and people who don’t use an Eruv and nobody complains of feeling locked in. Can’t carry your tallis bag? Either leave it in shul or wear the tallis there and back. Can’t use a stroller? Don’t take the baby to shul one week.
Hopefully Rabbi Paretzky will be able to help them rebuild in a multi-section fashion to minimize future problems, but it’s actually a good thing to not have an Eruv once in a while if for no other reason than to make people aware about it and that they can’t carry without one. You’d be surprised at how many people from places with longstanding Eruvim have no idea that it’s possible to be somewhere without an Eruv and walk around carrying without giving it a second thought.
Uncle Ben, I don’t know about St. Louis but I do know that in a certain city there’s a Rav who is not pro his mispalelim wearing their taleisim outside unless a coat/jacket is worn over it as we are in golus. Also the article doesn’t say “Everyone is locked in” but that “residents are locked in”
Binyamingavriel, taking the stroller is not just to shul. It’s to anywhere.