Gioia, Community Dedicate Sunnyside Eruv
Eruv will allow Jewish community more freedom on Sabbath
Councilman Eric Gioia joined local Jewish leaders to celebrate the completion of the Sunnyside Eruv. An Eruv is defined in the Torah as a designated zone in which Orthodox Jews are allowed to carry otherwise forbidden items during the Sabbath. Seemingly ordinary tasks, including carrying house keys or transporting a child in a stroller on the Sabbath, were previously not allowed. But with the Department of Transportation (DOT) giving it the green light, Orthodox Jews in Sunnyside will be able to more easily accomplish these necessary tasks no matter what day of the week it is. "This is more than just a step for the growing Orthodox community of Sunnyside, it is an example of the diversity that makes Queens so wonderful," Councilman Gioia, who represents Sunnyside, said today. "People acting in concert with their faith is what makes our neighborhood so unique. In this way, Queens is emblematic of New York: a culturally and religiously rich region that will only continue to grow and thrive."

Councilmember Eric Gioia (D-Sunnyside) celebrates the completion of the Sunnyside Eruv. Gioia stands with (from left to right): Young Israel President Stephen Weiner, Rabbi Yonah Levant, and Cynthia Zalisky and Jan Fenster of the Queens Jewish Community Council.