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Eruv
We are tremendously blessed to live in a community with such an expansive Eruv that meets impeccable halakhic standards. The Greater Boston eruvin were constructed under the supervision of Rabbi Moshe Heineman of Baltimore and of the Star-K and are overseen locally by Rabbi Naftoli Horowitz of Beth Pinchas and of Rofeh International.
Dr Jesse Hefter, president of the Greater Boston Eruv Corporation, was the driving force behind the construction of our community eruvin and diligently continues to oversee their week to week maintainance. Questions can be sent directly to Dr Hefter.
Community membership dues for supporting the Greater Boston Eruvin are $90.00. Please pay by Pay Pal here or mail a yearly check to:
Greater Boston Eruv Corporation
653 Chestnut Hill Avenue
Brookline, MA 02445-4148
Click here for the Boston Eruv Handbook which includes guidelines for usage.
Please see below for the exact boundaries of the Eruv, especially in Newton. There are a couple of well walked streets which parallel the Eruv’s boundaries and careful regard must be taken to avoid, God forbid, inadvertent carrying outside the Eruv.
And most importantly, if you use the Eruv, you must call every Friday afternoon to check if the Eruv is operational or not for the coming Shabbat.
Call the Eruv Status Line at
781-446-9797
or check
www.BostonEruv.org
South Newton Extention Boundary
Nonatum Boundary
June 2005 - newer version of Boston Eruv Map(Adobe PDF)...
The common access points between the Boston and Nonantum sections of the Eruv can be used to move between the two segments; they are one continguous Eruv.
Map
The main boundaries of the Boston Eruv are shown on the map above. Below are two general sections. The first outlines the external border of the Eruv and the second describes the internal borders (lakes and cemeteries).
External borders
The northern border of the Eruv extends from Chestnut St. (Newton) along the Massachusetts Turnpike (Route 90) eastwards until the intersection of the Pike with Beacon St. (Boston). The Sheraton Tara Hotel at Exit 17 along the Mass Pike is NOT located within the Eruv. The Beacon St. overpass at the Mass Pike is not in the Eruv. The Eruv then crosses over Beacon St. and continues through the parking lot near Harvard Pilgrim-Kenmore; then meets the MBTA (Green Line) fence ands heads southwesterly back towards Brookline.
The MBTA line is followed until Brookline Village where the Eruv turns south, crosses over Route 9 just east of the Pedestrian Bridge and then turns down Pond Avenue (the Brook House and its sidewalk is in the Eruv). The Eruv continues down Pond Ave. and then follows Chestnut St. north, Walnut St. west and finally crosses Lee St., turns west on Heath St., north on Dunster Rd., crosses Route 9, turns west on Middlesex Rd. and then meets the MBTA fence on the west side of Hammond St.
The Eruv follows the MBTA tracks (south side) until Glen Ave. and then follows Glen Ave. to Langley Rd., turns south until Route 9, west on Route 9 until Woodward St., north on Woodward until Lincoln St., follows Lincoln west until it meets the MBTA fence at the northern end of the Eliot St. Station. The Eruv then follows the fence along the tracks until Chestnut St. and then follows Chestnut St. north until the intersection with the Mass. Pike.
Internal
Several areas within the Eruv District are self-contained by a Mechitzah in order to exclude them from the Eruv. Sidewalks along these streets must be very carefully walked to prevent one carrying outside of the Eruv on Shabbat.
City Hall (Newton) - The City Hall "triangle" is located west of Walnut Street, south of Commonwealth Avenue, and north of Homer Street.
Starting at the corner of Walnut and Commonwealth Ave:
- Along Walnut Street: One may carry only on the eastern, sidewalk side of Walnut Street between Commonwealth and Homer Streets.
- Along Homer Street: One may not carry between Walnut and the north end of the parking lot of the Newton Public Library. From here until the Lowell Avenue intersection, one may only carry only on the "houses" side of the street and only on the sidewalk, not in the street.
- Along Commonwealth Avenue: One may only carry when walking in the carriage road between Walnut Street and Lowell Avenue. When reaching Lowell Avenue, one may carry across the traffic light intersection.
[This entire area is should be treated very carefully to protect oneself and family from unwittingly carrying on Shabbos.]
From the corner of Walnut and Commonwealth proceeding southwards, one must stay on the east side of Walnut until Homer and then can proceed on Walnut along either side of the sidewalk until the edg of the Cemetery Fence. {Newton Cemetery} From here until the south end of the cemetery, one must walk only only on the east side of the street (and never IN the street). The sidewalk along the Newton Cemetery is out of the Eruv from north end to south end along Walnut Street.
Crystal Lake (Newton) - The northern border runs along Beacon St. from Crescent on the east to Walnut on the west. The western border runs along Walnut from Beacon on the north to the Fleet building just north of Station Ave. on the south. The eastern border runs along the western fence of the MBTA tracks from the Newton Highland MBTA station until Centre St. and then up Centre to Crescent and then back up to Beacon St.
- Starting at Walnut and Beacon Street and following Beacon Street eastwards...The sidewalk (not the street) is in the Eruv along the entire length on the north side of the street only. [IMPORTANT NOTE: Garland Road. One telephone pole at the north west intersection with Beacon Street is on the house-side of the sidewalk rather than the street-side of the sidewalk. Accordingly, the sidewalk cannot be traversed at all at this corner in either direction. To get from Beacon to Walnut, one has to turn north onto Garland and then follow it around to Walnut north of Beacon and then continue south on Walnut.] The street is not in the Eruv at all until just east of the Zhviller Beis Midrash where the street is in the Eruv but not the sidewalk. At the corner of Crescent Avenue, the street and the sidewalk on the east side of the street are in the Eruv. The street is NOT in the Eruv when the pole at the curve in the street is reached (about 60 feet from the intersection of Norwood Avenue).
- Crescent Street (along the Church and Church School... The sidewalk in in the Eruv until the last pole before Beacon Street where the Eruv follows the existing cables to the first pole north on Beacon Street and then turns South on Beacon St. THE SIDEWALK IS NOT IN THE ERUV AT THE CORNER OF CRESCENT AND BEACON ON THE WEST SIDE OF BEACON STREET.
- South on Centre Street... The sidewalk on Centre Street on the west side is NOT in the Eruv until the middle of the bridge over the train tracks. Then, both sidewalks are available. Centre Street itself is in the Eruv along this entire area.
- Rogers St... The Eruv has a Tzurat HaPesah at the MBTA overpass on Rogers St. (the west side). There is no way to carry anything on Shabbat from Allerton St. to Rogers and CROSS over the tracks. The area west of the tracks and east of Walnut street is NOT in the Eruv.
- Hyde St... The Eruv has a Tzurat HaPesah at the MBTA overpass on Hyde St. (the west side). There is no way to carry anything on Shabbat from Allerton St. to Rogers and CROSS over the tracks. The area west of the tracks and east of Walnut street is NOT in the Eruv.
- MBTA Station on Station Avenue... The Eruv leaves the MBTA fence at the West side of the entrance to the station and crosses over Station Ave to telephone poles just west of the street. One may not carry from Station Avenue (coming from the South) and through to Lake Street.
- Walnut Street... The Eruv comes out from behind the Drive Through Bank building on Walnut and Station and crosses Walnut to the South Side. The Sidewalk on the South side of Walnut is in the Eruv; the street is not. The Eruv continues on the poles along the west side of Walnut until just before Whole Foods. The Eruv then crosses to the East side of the street and follows a second pole on the north side of Walnut south of the Mobil Station. A Twine then crosses to a pole on the North side of Beacon Street. Areas to the West of this twine are in the Eruv.
Bulloughs Pond (Newton) - The northern border runs through the park just north of Dexter Rd. from Walnut to Bulloughs Pk. then follows Bulloughs Pk. south until the fence parallel to Commonwealth Ave, follows the fence around the southern side of the Pond until just before the first house on Walnut St. where the Mechitzah then leaves the fence and rejoins the utility poles. There is no way to carry along Dexter Road between Walnut and Bulloughs Park.
Commonwealth Ave... The Eruv follows the Pond Fence.
Walnut St... The Eruv follows the Pond fence for about 100 feet north. Once the Eruv moves onto the utility poles on the east side of Walnut, the sidewalk is prohibited for carrying. This continues past Dexter Rd. until several poles north just after the small bridge. There is a twine over the sidewalk there and from there northwards, carrying is allowed.
Bulloughs Park... Due to the directions of the existing cables. Only the sidewalk on the East side of the street can be used near the intersection with Dexter. Carrying in the street for about 30 feet is prohibited. After the intersection with Dexter, the street and the sidewalk on the east side are allowed for carrying.
Chandler Pond (Brighton) - There is no way to travel along Lake St. Only the north side of Kenrick Rd. is in the Eruv.
Newton Cemetery (Walnut St.) -The only side of Walnut St. in the Eruv between Newton Four Corners and the northern extent of the cemetery property (abutting the Newton Public Library, south of Homer St.) is the sidewalk on the eastern side of the street.
Additional twines have been placed that span from the light poles coming down Walnut St. from Commonwealth Ave. towards the library (actually to the pole on the southwest corner of Homer and Walnut) then travelling west on Homer until just past the Library parking lot. With these twines in place, the twine coming to the southeast corner is valid but superceded by the twines just described. This way, the entire east side of Walnut street (on the sidewalk) is available to walkers. The original twines were left in-place as a backup. (Note added July 25, 2004)
· Hall's Pond (Brookline) - This pond, located east of Amory Park is not in the Eruv. There is a fence all around this Pond area that may not be crossed on Shabbos.
Chestnut Hill Reservoir (Brighton) - This large reservoir is completely surrounded by an iron fence. This fence is the Mechitzah and one may not carry if on the other side of it on Shabbos. In late 2004, several gaps were made in the fence for people to walk in the interior of the fence. Now, the reservoir is treated like the Brookline Reservoir and so the outside or inside may be traversed on Shabbat.
Brookline Reservoir (Brookline - Off Route 9) - This body of water is completely surrounded by an embedded, angled flagstone wall. The Walking Path around this reservoir is completely available for use on Shabbat. One may not walk down the edges of the slope on Shabbos since the slope is the Mechitzah.
Miscellaneous comments regarding egress and borders
Glen Ave. (Newton) - There is currently no way to access this street from the Beacon St. side of the MBTA underpass. The Eruv cuts out the access from the south on Glen Ave. about 50 feet south of the underpass. One can reach the southern several blocks of Glen from Newton Centre.
In many cases, the Eruv utilizes existing utility poles with attached lechiim to form the border. As such, the fact that (1) some poles may crisscross the street and (2) some poles may be located between the sidewalk and residential property rather than between the sidewalk and the curb. Here, one may be blocked from using the sidewalk at all in certain spots (There are examples of this latter problem along Route 9 in Newton near Cloverdale St. and near Floral Ave. There are many instances of this in Brookline as well.). If you know that you will be walking on Shabbat near an edge of the Eruv, please consult your Shul Rabbi regarding the exact nature of the Eruv border.
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