Entire eruv comes down
Protest brings an end to religious marker
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

The thin monofilament line that marked a Jewish religious boundary in Oak Park, Agoura Hills and Westlake Village is being removed entirely, officials said last week.

Oak Park residents were the first to complain about the high wires crisscrossing the streets, saying they said didn't know about the project until it was completed. There were concerns that the thin lines were unsightly and a danger to birds.

Called an "eruv," the clear wires were attached to the top of street light poles to form a symbolic enclosure that allowed movement by Orthodox Jews on the Sabbath.

The Oak Park lines were taken down first. Because the enclosure was left incomplete, project organizers decided to remove all the wires.

"This was solely a decision by the eruv committee to remove the rest of the eruv due to the fact that without the Ventura County portion of the eruv, the L.A. County portion serves no useful purpose," said Eli Eisenberg, a spokesperson for the Jewish Chabad.

The Chabad had received approval from the cities of Agoura Hills and Westlake Village, and a permit from Ventura County for the Oak Park extension. But Southern California Edison failed to approve the lines on its Ventura County light poles, which contributed to the outcry in Oak Park.

Eisenberg apologized to Oak Park residents at a recent Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council meeting. He blamed a Los Angeles contractor for incorrect installation.

"Ultimately, it is our hope that this gesture of goodwill will be seen favorably by the residents of the greater Agoura Hills, Oak Park area and will prove, once and for all, that our primary goal is to be good neighbors and that any future attempts at an eruv will be done in concert with them," Eisenberg said. There are no alternate plans for another eruv, Eisenberg said.