The Jewish community are proposing to set up an "eruv". See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EruvAn eruv is basically an area with a physical boundary (the nylon wire in this case) that can be regarded as an enclosure in Jewish law. This enables activities, which would normally be prohibited on the Jewish Sabbath outside the home, to be undertaken within the eruv.Many years ago I knew a devout Jew, a friend and colleague of mine in Cambridge. On Saturdays, the Jewish Sabbath, many normal activities of modern life were denied to him. For example, he would not switch on the TV or answer the phone. So if he wanted to watch sport on TV on a Saturday afternoon, he would leave the TV on from Friday to Saturday, so that he didn't need to switch it on during the Sabbath.The eruv is in my view a convenient loophole of the same sort. Carrying things from your home to the public highway on the Sabbath is contrary to strict Jewish law, but if you extend the boundaries of the home by setting up an eruv, you can get round such restrictions.Personally I think it's utterly absurd, but that's religion for you.
Richard Jennings ● 3917d