The Jewish community in Zurich has completed the establishment of an eruv after a formal consultation process with municipal authorities and in full compliance with Swiss law. Community leaders say the project, which enables observant Jews to carry essential items on the Sabbath, was approved by city officials and is viewed as an example of constructive cooperation between a religious minority and local government.
Following the Zurich initiative, discussions are now taking place in other Swiss cities about creating similar arrangements. The development, however, drew sharp criticism from Mauro Poggia, a member of the Swiss Council of States representing the Canton of Geneva. In two public statements, Poggia objected both to the eruv itself and to broader political issues he linked to it.
In one statement, Poggia criticized Israel and referred to a range of unrelated events, including the fatal avalanche incident at the Crans-Montana ski resort, the Octber 7th massacre, and the war in Gaza. In a separate statement focused on the eruv, he said he was “shocked" by the initiative, arguing that it could result in a visibly demarcated Jewish residential area, which he described as a form of “voluntary ghetto."
Jewish communities across Switzerland responded with strong criticism, saying the use of the term “ghetto" in connection with an eruv was historically inaccurate and deeply offensive. They stressed that the eruv does not create segregation or impose restrictions on others, but serves a narrowly defined religious purpose.
Rabbi Noam Hertig, chief rabbi of Zurich, said the eruv was established through dialogue and mutual understanding with local authorities. He emphasized that it is a symbolic halakhic arrangement rather than a physical barrier, and that it primarily benefits elderly residents, people with disabilities, and families with young children who would otherwise be confined to their homes on the Sabbath.
Rabbi Michael Ben-Edmon of Geneva said the criticism reflected a broader pattern of challenging Jewish religious practices under the banner of liberal values, warning that such rhetoric risks marginalizing Jewish life in public spaces rather than combating antisemitism.
Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis and Av Beit Din of Switzerland, said it was inappropriate to link unrelated tragedies to a local religious arrangement. He stated that portraying an eruv as coercive or exclusionary distorts both Jewish law and historical reality, and undermines efforts to foster respectful coexistence.