As the sun went down last Friday night, Orthodox Jewish students on campus observed Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, with a renewed sense of community. This was due to the recently completed construction of an eruv ?- a nearly invisible wire that surrounds an area and allows Orthodox Jews to carry objects on Shabbat - campus and surrounding communities.
The development of an eruv took over a year and was planned by Rabbi Binyamin Marwick, who works at the Hopkins Hillel.
The religious wire surrounds the Charles Village neighborhood, as well as Guilford, Remington, Keswick and parts of Hampden.
"The existence of an eruv symbolizes a fully established and mature Jewish community," Marwick said. Orthodox Jews believe that on Shabbat, which extends from sundown on Friday to Saturday night, they are prohibited from carrying any objects including books, strollers and keys beyond the confines of an enclosed space. The eruv extends the boundaries of the enclosed space and consequently removes this restriction.
The eruv is formed out of built structures already in place such as fences, blocks of row houses and small attachments to the ends of utility poles, which create figurative doorways, according to Jewish law, that extend the figurative boundaries of the home.
"The goal is to serve the population that wants it and be as imperceptible as possible, so people won't notice it," Marwick said.
On Nov. 5, Mayor Sheila Dixon held a ceremony during which the City agreed to lease the five-mile perimeter to the Jewish community for a symbolic $1 for the next 20 years. The City's approval was not only a practical matter, but also a necessary one. Jewish law requires that the governing body rent the space to the Jewish community in order for an eruv to be acceptable.
This is the second eruv established in Baltimore. The first was constructed in Park Heights in 1978 and was approved by Mayor William Donald Schaefer. According to Marwick, the City's cooperation was made possible because of the creation of the eruv built 30 years ago.
"The politicians and civil servants were curious and interested in learning what [an eruv] is and working with you to make it possible," sophomore Michael Pisem, one of two students who attended the ceremony, said.
The Eruv, which ended up costing slightly more than the anticipated $15,000, was funded by an anonymous donor with connections to Hopkins whose donation was then matched by the Orthodox Union.
The eruv will be inspected every Friday afternoon to make sure that it is intact. According to Marwick, weather storms or vandalism can potentially cause a breach.
The Hopkins Hillel Web site will be updated weekly to inform people if the eruv is up and functional.
"I did it primarily for the University community. I especially hope graduate students will stay in the community. There is a trend that they live in Pikesville [a town with a large Orthodox Jewish community] and commute," Marwick said.
His primary motivation for creating the eruv was the student community. While primarily for students, he hopes that the eruv will serve the greater community as well.
"The eruv gives a feeling of home to a lot of people . . . people come from towns that have an established community and it mirrors the experience of home; it gives them a sense of comfort," junior Sam Iser, who organizes the daily Orthodox minyan (a prayer group that meets three times a day), said.
"Obviously it is an exciting development for the Sabbath observant community at Hopkins," sophomore Josh Greenspan said.
"It is a sign of a thriving Jewish community."
For students who observe Shabbat, the eruv is not only a symbol, it also provides much welcome convenience.
"The eruv enables people to carry school books to Hillel on Shabbat and going to lacrosse games is no longer so difficult," sophomore Rivky Stern said.
According to many Orthodox Jews at Hopkins, including Marwick, the eruv will prove attractive to prospective students who desire a traditionally observant community.
"With an eruv, you can assume that there is a solid community," Stern said. Iser believes that the eruv will result in the growth of the Orthodox community at Hopkins.
"The presence of Rabbi Marwick and the eruv signals to prospective students that there is a strong active community," Stern said.
However, according to Iser, the eruv's impact on the size of the community will not take effect immediately.
"It takes a while for names to get out there - at least two to four years down the road."
For Marwick, the creation of the eruv is not just positive development for the Orthodox community exclusively, it is an important moment for the entire community.
"Everyone should feel proud. It is a symbol of religious freedom in America," Marwick said.
