Mahwah votes to settle lawsuit concerning religious boundary

A Bergen County town has approved a settlement with an Orthodox Jewish group from New York that sued over a religious boundary built with white plastic piping on utility poles.
Mahwah Township Attorney Brian Chewcaskie says the settlement will remain confidential pending approval from the Bergen Rockland Eruv Association. The Record reports council members voted 5-2 late Tuesday in favor of settling after two hours of private legal discussion.
Council members Janet Ariemma and James Wysocki voted no.
The lawsuit was sparked by a now-reversed law to ban the building of an eruv in Mahwah, which some Orthodox Jews rely on to perform tasks such as carrying bags on the Sabbath.
Mahwah has also been sued by the state over the ban and an ordinance blocking non-residents from parks, which opponents believed targeted Jews. That proposed ban was eventually dropped.
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.