Aware Buildings, a provider of long-range wireless sensors for leak detection and building infrastructure, has completed a two-year project with Manhattan Eruv Inc. to create the only known eruv electronic monitoring system in the world.
An eruv is a symbolic boundary that allows Orthodox Jews to carry items and perform certain activities on the Sabbath that would otherwise be restricted. It is created by linking existing walls and utility poles with connecting wires. The Manhattan Eruv, established 26 years ago, runs from Battery Park up to 145th Street, covering a 25-mile circumference. To complete the boundary, 142 connecting wire segments — spanning in aggregate over five miles — were installed.
For almost two decades, a single rabbinic eruv inspector from Monsey, N.Y., working with Rabbi Adam Mintz, the eruv administrator, personally drove in every Thursday morning at 5:30 AM to inspect the entire length of the eruv looking for wire breaks. It is a three-hour task that requires expertise not easily delegated.
“When I learned that the rabbi inspecting the eruv every Thursday had not been able to get away to take a vacation for 18 years because of his inspection responsibilities, I knew technology could help,” said Jerry Kestenbaum, CEO of Aware Buildings. “This system shows how modern sensors can support timeless traditions and make community life easier.”
The system uses 142 tilt sensors, each mounted to a wire and tethered to nearby lamp posts. Every hour, sensors transmit their orientation along X, Y and Z axes. If a line drops or shifts due to a break, the sensor’s position changes by 90 degrees, triggering an alert. Notifications are sent by text and email to eruv administrators and to Spectrum on Broadway, the contractor responsible for repairs.
“With electronic monitoring, we now have greater reliability and peace of mind, without the burden of constant manual checks,” said Mintz, who has overseen the Manhattan Eruv since its establishment. “The eruv is central to Jewish life in Manhattan, and this system ensures it will always be ready to serve the community.”
Seventeen solar-powered cellular hubs across Manhattan ensure reliable communication to all 142 wire sensors. Aware Buildings first tested off-the-shelf wireless options — including cellular sensors, Helium and Amazon Sidewalk networks — but none proved reliable enough. The company instead built a custom wireless hub network paired with a waterproof sensor design.
For the repair team, the new system is equally transformative.
“We’ve repaired the eruv for years,” said Joe Morra, president of Spectrum on Broadway. “With real-time alerts, we can respond faster, reduce disruption and costs and ensure the eruv stays intact.”
