So it seems Venice-area Orthodox Jews are in quite a conundrum. According to an Oct. 25 article in the Los Angeles Times, an Orthodox synagogue wants to enclose much of Santa Monica, Venice and Marina del Rey within a religious boundary known as an eruv. This barrier will consist of a string fishing line between lampposts and sign poles for several miles through California’s coastal communities, supposedly creating an unbroken boundary.
The purpose of all this hoopla is so that Orthodox Jews can celebrate Sabbath and still consider themselves “at home,” which is mandatory on that holy day.
If “home” is considered all the way from Venice to Marina Del Rey, Jews will be able to carry food, push strollers and wheel chairs, not to mention bring their house keys with them when they leave.
Of course, such a request raised many eyebrows among city officials and brought up such tricky issues as religious freedom in California, coastal regulations and of course, environmental issues. According to the article, “the Coastal Commission staff has recommended against the enclosure, saying it could compromise the nesting area of a rare bird and obstruct views of the ocean.”
Rabbi Ben Geiger told the L.A. Times, “the eruv would make it easier for people to practice their faith. With the eruv in place, synagogue members would be able to stroll the Venice boardwalk during the Sabbath and even bring a picnic.” Geiger’s own children, the youngest of whom is four, wouldn’t have to walk the 1.5 miles from their home to the synagogue on Ocean Front Walk.
The Jewish community is even going so far as to say that their project would boost local tourism, making it easier for Sabbath-observing Jews. Surprisingly, the fishing wire plan has already been approved by the cities of Santa Monica and Los Angeles, as well as the California Department of Fish and Game. But, nothing can happen without the Coastal Commission’s permission, and they still have some concerns about the potential project.
OK, does anyone else see the major problem here? The Jewish community is asking everyday civilians to sacrifice their view and their beaches in order to make a supposed holy day a little bit easier for the Jewish community. It’s true that a fishing line does not particularly affect the community, but it is the principle of the matter that’s infuriating.
The fact that the state of California would allow such a blatantly religious artifact to be displayed, not to mention something that could cause environmental damage, just to make one day a bit easier for the Orthodox community is ridiculous. The day of Sabbath is not supposed to be easy to begin with. This whole concept is completely hypocritical. If these Jews were as devout as they say, they would stay in their actual home the entire day. They wouldn’t enjoy a day at the beach, complete with a picnic and scenic tour of the city.
What kind of a society have we become where entire cities must sacrifice for one particular religion? If the Orthodox Jews are allowed special treatment, shouldn’t every religious group have such a privilege?
If a group of devout Muslims plastered pictures of Allah up and down Santa Monica Boulevard it’s highly doubtful the city would be as understanding. It seems that the Coastal Commission has a tough decision to make. Let’s hope they make the right one.