Do’s and Don’ts

What is an Eruv?

The Eruv permits carrying on Shabbat / Yom Kippur within the defined Eruv boundaries.

You must check every Friday that the Eruv is functional – only specific authoritative confirmation on Friday validates the Eruv for use that week.

The Eruv Allows You To:

• Push buggies and wheelchairs
• Carry items used on Shabbat:
  • A Tallit or Siddur to Shul
  • A Sefer to a class or Shiur
  • Food items for use on Shabbat
  • Glasses, house keys etc.

The Eruv Does Not Allow You To:

• Carry items for use after Shabbat
• Carry items that are “Muktzah”
  • Any item whose main use is prohibited on Shabbat, e.g. writing implement, notepad, tool, wallet, purse
  • An item that is neither food nor a utensil that has a practical use on Shabbat, e.g. money, animal, credit card, stone
  • A valuable item that one expends extra care for its safety, e.g. passport, cheque, expensive painting, sale merchandise etc
  • Any item which cannot be used on Shabbat or whose intended use is for after Shabbat e.g. a car or office key
• Athletic activities
• Watering the lawn, gardening, picking flowers and fruits, etc.
• Playing with water, playing in a sprinkler, playing in a sandpit
• Putting rubbish out for collection, mailing letters
• Bringing gifts to hosts on Shabbat or Yom Tovim
• Enter the following: business establishments, stores, offices, libraries or places of entertainment (cinemas etc) – even if payment has been made in advance

The Eruv and the Synagogue (Place of Prayer)

It is most important that the sanctity and dignity of the Synagogue be properly maintained. This refers only to the actual room(s) where services take place; it does not refer to the other parts of the shul complex.

• Parents must ensure that children of any age remain supervised and looked after at all times.
• The following are not appropriate in the Synagogue itself:
  • Changing of nappies
  • Permitting a child with soiled nappies to remain
  • Nursing
  • Permitting a noisy/crying child to remain