Become a Member of the Toronto Eruv
Thank you for your interest in financially supporting the Toronto Eruv Committee. Since 1996, the Eruv has been up to serve Toronto’s Jewish community for all but a few weeks of that time. Your support is greatly appreciated and contributes enormously to the success of our Eruv.
The eruv cost hundreds of dollars to build. Fortunately, a large share of these expenses were borne by the railways. The balance was donated, to a great extent by personal contribution by members of the eruv committee and a few other generous individuals. However, about $90,000 remained owing on the capital cost of the eruv. The eruv also has an annual budget for operating expenses of about $40,000 plus a capital improvement budget of $10,000.
Choose one or more of the following support options:
Honor, commemorate, celebrate, wish a speedy recovery, or console someone with a donation to the Eruv. Sponsor the Eruv hotline or the Eruv web page at this site for only $36/week. Please contact 416-350-2879 or email info@torontoeruv.org to arrange for sponsorship.
A $3 per week donation (which is only $156 per year) will help us maintain the Eruv budget. Please help us to keep this positive momentum continuing throughout the year.
Please send checks to:
“The Toronto Eruv”
c/o Abish
3 Stormont Ave.
Toronto On.
M5N 2B7.
Make an on-line donation using your credit card by clicking on the button below. The processor deducts 3% to cover transaction costs (so a $100 donation will bring in $97 to the Eruv).
Operating and Maintenance
The operation of the eruv is an ongoing exercise. In order to ensure that the eruv remains kosher for use, it must be checked regularly in accordance with a halachically approved schedule. Areas which are more susceptible to damage need to be checked more often, many even weekly.
The Rov in charge of the eruv is Rav Akiva Steinmetz who has accepted responsibility for the kashrus and maintenance of the eruv and also makes the required halachic determinations. In addition, the eruv has an administrator to ensure that the required repairs are done on a timely basis, that financial matters are attended to and that the community is notified on a weelky basis that the eruv is kosher. Our dedicated staff assisted by teams of volunteers under the supervision of Rav Steinmetz have graciously agreed to check specified routes of the eruv on a regular schedule.
The eruv needs constant supervision. On occasion, a fence or a tzuros hapesach is demollished by the railways, Ontario Hydro, or the municipality , and needs to be repaired on emergency basis before the upcoming Shabbos. As an example, one Wednesday during a previous summer, Rabbi Norman, on a regular route to check the Eruv, noticed that a tzuros hapesach was ruined because of construction at a spot along the railway line. He quickly discussed the issue with Rabbi Akiva Steinmetz and some of the other members of the Eruv committee to determine the best method to repair the tzuras hapesach. Paul Evans, who is in charge of the active repair work was called and the precise instructions were given to reinstall the tzuras hapesach. The Eruv was repaired and checked again and, only then, on late Friday morning, did the regular notices go out that the Eruv was operational for that Shabbos.
Expansion and Future Plans
There is currently only one hotel within the eruv boundries (around Finch and Yonge). The committee would like to include the Yorkdale Holiday Inn. As the community grows northward, we would also like to expand the eruv accordingly.
Membership
The eruv is a true community facility which benefits every Jew in the city. Accordingly, it is proper to achieve a broad base of support from the entire Jewish community. We urge each family in Toronto to support the ongoing maintenance of the eruv by becoming a member of the Toronto Eruv.