In 2015, the frum community began moving into the Toms River area. At first there were just a handful of families, but within a few months, it grew to approximately 25 families.
It is hard to imagine the way it was back then with no Eruv in town, with the feeling of not being able to leave the house with young children, nor being able to carry anything to or from Shul… Taking a family walk with the baby carriage back then was just a dream.
By mid 2016 with 40 families already living in Toms River, the necessity to build an Eruv was growing, as was the community. There was a small group of individuals who took the initiative to begin the research of the logistics of building an Eruv. We got together and started planning. Our hope was to have the project completed in just a few weeks. At the time, the plan was to cover 2 square miles.
Before we even got the project off the ground, we realized we had to expand the project, by tripling the size of our original plan. We also realized that building an Eruv was no easy task. We encountered legal issues with the township. We had to develop relationships with the utility companies who required us to sign a contract in order to use their poles to install the “lechis”. We worked to find a proper installer who could do the actual work of installing the Eruv. We had to get a Baal Machshir as well as a reliable team to walk through the large Eruv area each week, to identify and deal with necessary repairs accordingly. With the help of very dedicated individuals lead by R’ Shia Meyer, we were able to get it all together and B”H the project was completed at the end of 2016.
During the first 12 months or so we experienced many many cases of intentional vandalism including Lechi poles that were constantly being destroyed. This all had to be dealt with week in and week out by working through the proper repairs. I recall one of the first weeks the Eruv was up, and multiple repairs were needed, yet there were just a few hours till Shabbos. It was quite stressful! We were able to find someone with a bucket truck, and a few of us put on our yellow vests and got to work. B”H we were able to get it done in time for Shabbos!
As the town grew, we continued expanding the Eruv which is currently over 14 miles long. Each week, the entire route is checked by multiple inspectors to ensure that the Eruv is Kosher. It’s important that the community understands the physical labor and costs, let alone the time given by many devoted people; this is the only way we can have the luxury of having an Eruv. Many, many people moved into town after the Eruv was already up and simply don’t realize what life was like, or what Shabbos life would be like without an Eruv.
When the Eruv was first built, with the generosity of the small community at the time, we were able to put together over $75,000 to build the Eruv. These funds also carried us through the first 15 months or so of Hashgacha, inspections and repairs. Over the years, we have run small campaigns just to be able to cover costs and continue doing what we do. With over 600 families within this Eruv we are strongly encouraging and heartfully requesting each family to contribute at least $180 per year, so we can continue with the Eruv work, week in and week out.
The Eruv is something all of us, our families, and our guests utilize without even thinking. It’s important that we all step up and do our part. We are running a campaign this week Parshas Lech Lecha, which we are calling Shabbos Eruv.
Corporate sponsorships are available for $1,000 annually which includes your company’s logo on our weekly posters. For any question regarding the Eruv or sponsorship opportunities please reach out to info@TomsRiverEruv.org
