Orthodox Jewish residents of the Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn were shocked to discover in recent days that a newly established eruv had been destroyed.
The eruv itself had elicited a greal of controversy, dividing the neighborhoods Chabad population with the growing modern Orthodox community.
In late June, local Chabad rabbis issued an edict declaring the eruv void and calling upon the public not to rely on it for carrying objects on Shabbat.
The new eruv was, in fact, an extension of an older, smaller eruv established by the Kol Israel synagogue, a predominantly modern Orthodox congregation.
Despite their opposition to the eruv, however, local Chabad rabbis condemned the eruv’s destruction, saying there was no justification for vandalism.
Local police have been alerted to the incident and are investigating.
