c. 2008 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) Tensions in the seaside hamlet of Westhampton Beach, N.Y., have reached a boiling point this summer over allegations of anti-Semitism and religious encroachment.

Rabbi Marc Schneier’s request in April to build an eruv around his synagogue triggered a backlash from some in the community, a vacation hotspot for wealthy New Yorkers, and prompted Gov. David Paterson to declare the matter a civil rights struggle.

Generally marked by wire strung across the tops of utility poles, an eruv is a zone within which Orthodox Jews are permitted to carry personal items during the Sabbath _ for example a baby stroller or medicine _ that would otherwise be prohibited under Jewish law.

The boundary line has become a lightning rod in Westhampton Beach, where some residents say it will make the village an Orthodox Jewish enclave.

Schneier, who will lead delegates in a prayer next week at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, spoke recently about the turmoil in his Long Island community. His comments have been edited for length and clarity.

Q: Would citizens notice the eruv if they didn’t know to look for it?

A: Even Orthodox (Jewish) citizens would not notice it; it’s very unobtrusive. It’s virtually non-visual to the human eye.

Q: Are legal issues common when a synagogue wants to create an eruv?

A: According to Jewish law, the community _ meaning the congregation _ must seek permission from any public official that has the authority to either close or open streets on Saturday, on the Sabbath. So it could be the local mayor, it could be the police chief, it could be the governor, it could be the attorney general, etc.

Q: Mayor Conrad Teller (of Westhampton Beach) has said that opponents of the eruv are mostly “level-headed, reasonable people.” Do you agree with that assessment?

A: I think there is a large majority of residents in this village who need to be educated and need to be sensitized as to what is an eruv … . And then there’s a minority of rabble-rousers who have spread some scurrilous rumors and attacks, and have even engaged in blatant anti-Semitic rhetoric and diatribe.

Q: Gov. Paterson came to Westhampton Beach to voice his support _ what kind of impact has that had on public perception of the issue?

A: It was both an extraordinary and an historic address, to have had the governor of the state of New York _ and one of the foremost African-American leaders in our country _ classify the eruv as a civil rights struggle.

Q: You held a town hall meeting last week to discuss the eruv. Were you encouraged by the tone of the event?

A: No, I was very saddened by the tone of the event. It was an ugly display of disrespect and intolerance, but it has only strengthened my resolve to reach out and educate and sensitize the greater community.

Q: What makes you say that?

A: People’s comments, people’s lack of civility. I would tell you, if you substituted the word “Jew” with the word “black,” I can only picture what African-Americans must have gone through in the South 40, 50 years ago.

Q: What types of concerns were raised?

A: That this is an attempt to create an orthodox enclave. You hear comments that the eruv is going to force stores to close on the Sabbath. You hear people saying “we don’t want any more Jews in Westhampton Beach.”

Q: What type of effect has the conflict had on your congregation?

A: What’s remarkable is the number of families that do not subscribe to an eruv or do not believe in an eruv who have come to the fore in support of a segment of the congregation that is under attack, and the need to stand in solidarity. So it has very much galvanized the greater synagogue.

DSB/JM END MURPHY

A file photo of Schneier is available via https://religionnews.com.