Beren’s New Eruv: A Behind the Scenes Look

This year, Stern College for Women celebrated the establishment of a new eruv, a significant development that enhances shabbos observance on campus. The project is also a symbolic step in aligning both the Beren and Wilf Campuses under a shared halachic framework with an eruv guided by Yeshiva University’s roshei yeshiva, created specifically for Yeshiva University students.

The road to this milestone has been nearly a decade in the making. The idea originated about eight years ago with Stern’s then campus rabbi, Rabbi Jacob Bernstein. At the time, the Manhattan eruv was already well established and widely used by the greater Jewish community. However, Yeshiva University recognized that there was value in creating a campus-specific eruv that would directly serve students while being supervised by the halachic authorities of Yeshiva University itself. This way, both the Wilf and Beren Campuses could maintain consistent standards and a unified halachic voice.

Constructing an eruv is no small feat. Beyond the halachic complexities, it requires careful coordination with city officials, consultations with rabbinic experts and a commitment to regular maintenance. Rabbi Bernstein began by drafting preliminary sketches, mapping out how the boundaries could be drawn to include key areas of student life. These early efforts laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the Beren Campus eruv.

In recent years, Rabbi Azi Fine, the current campus rabbi, took over and pushed the project to completion. Building on Rabbi Bernstein’s initial vision, Rabbi Fine refined the map and ensured that the new eruv would comprehensively cover student needs. The eruv encompasses all campus dormitories, academic buildings and even nearby parks such as St. Vartan Park where students gather on shabbos afternoons. The eruv expands from 39th Street and Park Avenue all the way to 29th Street and First Avenue. 

Rabbi Fine explained that the project is meant to be more than a halachic formality. It is a way of strengthening identity and responsibility within the Beren community.

“We are so excited to have a Beren Campus eruv, with students and faculty taking responsibility for it as a community undertaking,” Rabbi Fine told The Commentator.

Over the first two weeks of the semester, Rabbi Fine has led groups of students on Friday afternoon walks around the perimeter of the eruv. These tours are not only inspections but also lessons, where a few participants weekly learn how to identify potential issues such as a fallen wire or a broken pole and how to repair them in accordance with halachic guidelines. Already, a WhatsApp group dedicated to eruv maintenance has grown to 18 members and is steadily expanding, reflecting the enthusiasm of students eager to take an active role.

For many, this hands-on involvement deepens their appreciation of halacha in a tangible way. “I never realized how much effort and care goes into making sure an eruv is kosher every single week,” Orah Fisher (SCW ‘26) shared with The Commentator. 

Students are reporting that they feel more comfortable remaining on campus for shabbos with the new eruv, overseen by Yeshiva University rabbis. “Knowing that there is a YU approved eruv gives me peace of mind that I can halachically carry my things on shabbos and creates a more enjoyable shabbos experience for me on campus,” Eliana Waghalter (SCW ‘28) shared with The Commentator. Other students have shared similar sentiments.

While Stern College has always been enclosed within the broader Manhattan eruv, several students don’t rely on using it. Therefore, this elevated halachic standard is a gesture to making shabbos life as ideal as possible, for an even wider student body. And as a project that requires both rabbinic and student involvement, it promises to concretize the halachic process for many women on Beren Campus.

A map of the Beren Campus eruv can be found online.

Photo Caption: Beren Campus

Photo Credit: Yeshiva University