Borehamwood, UK – Flags have been attached to the top of poles, erected just last week for a religious boundary in Borehamwood.
Join our WhatsApp groupSubscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
At least five St George flags have been spotted in Stapleton Road, Gateshead Road and Hertford Road, flying from the tip of the 15ft metal poles, which will form part of the Borehamwood and Elstree eruv.
The construction of the religious boundary, which comprises 34 sets of poles and connecting wires, is due to be completed by July and is used by Orthodox Jews to carry out tasks which are usually prohibited on the Sabbath, such as carrying or pushing.
The eruv was approved in November by Hertsmere Borough Council, but concerns have since been raised by a small group of residents about the proximity of some of the poles to their homes.
Mystery surrounds exactly who is behind the stunt or how the flags were tied to the eruv poles, which have been funded and installed by the Ebor Eruv Charitable Trust.
Earlier this month, the trust said the erection of the eruv “was a major milestone” for the Jewish community in the area.
Since we routinely use utility poles with all sorts of signs and attachments as part of eruvim, these little flags should have no effect on the kashruth of the eruv.
I agree. Let the flags stay up.
cute idea. They should do it in Williamsburg.
That flag is the English flag for their World Cup team. Harmless flag with the cross of St George. Its simply world Cup fever which is huge in England.
while i agree about putting up flags on the pols there is a practical problem with it
flags when blowing in the wind tend to snap and the force of that snap might be strong enough to tear the eruv
then where would we be???
Millhouse. The Jews are not opposed to nationalism. They r apposed to the bnp. Two different things…. the nationalists used to hijack the English flag for their cause
I was recently informed that one can NOT carry on BOTH sides of 9th Ave between 52 st and 60 st. You can only carry on the left side facing the higher number streets, because that is where the eruv ends . This is very interesting
because for many years people are carrying on both sides of the ave.
Milhouse, you have it completely wrong. British Jews are not against English Nationalism (represented by parties like the English Democrats), they’re against the BNP (BRITISH National Party), who support the union, and they, if anything, hijack the Union Jack, not the English flag. I’m British, and I can tell you those flags are 100% world cup fever, nothing more, nothing less!
I see a halachic issue here. To Britons, like almost everyone else in the world, the World Cup is a religious event 🙂
No mystery and quite harmless.
Many heimishe yidden, myself included, enjoy football and support England and hope we will win.
The cross is not a religious symbol, just England’s football flag. It is the cross of St. George and nothing to do with christianity.
Also most of us are still patriots and appreciate the great favours this country has done and does do for us. It is a wonderful malchus shel chessed and shame on those who criticise England and show no gratitude for the great and many favours and kindnesses we have from the H.M. Queen and her government (of all parties).
I was recently informed that in the Boro Park Eruv one can NOT carry on BOTH sides of 9th Ave between 52 st and 60 st. You can only carry on the left side facing the higher number streets, because that is where the eruv ends . This is very interesting
because for many years people are carrying on both sides of the ave.
Reply »
The st george flag has become a symbol of british right win extremists. The incident may no be so benign. Its not dissimilar to how the confederate flag is used by racists and state rights groups in the us.
I am not English, but have a lot of family in London and Manchester, and visit often. By no means I am an authority, but in my humble opinion, from everything I know about England, it’s harmless and may even be cute.
Oh, and no way will England win the Cup. Spain will. If Spain fails, then Holland. Sorry, Englishman #19 🙂
Great idea in fact to make the eruv more attractive and more acceptable to our neighbors. We could also use Judaic art banners etc, candlelighting times screens, you name it.
This is what we would call a storm in a tea cup.
Why is it that foreign (i.e. non-British) chachamim feel they have the right to interfere and to posek on our purely domestic issues? Aren’t there enough sheilos and other problems in your own countries for you?
Thank you very much: we can manage our affairs perfectly well. We have our own (qualified) rabbonim and poskim – we do NOT need the intervention of armchair dayanim from Boro Park, Willy, Lakewood, Montreal, Bnei Brak, Yerushalayim or anywhere else.