A hands-free green man...so devout Jews can cross the road without breaking a religious law

Britain is to get its first ‘hands-free’ pedestrian crossing – so that devout Jews do not have to break a religious law that prohibits them from using electricity or operating machinery on the Sabbath.

The crossing is near a busy synagogue, and pressing a button to operate it is considered a breach of the strict rules that apply to Orthodox Jews.

Traffic will be held every 90 seconds from Friday evening until nightfall on Saturday, covering the Jewish Sabbath period.

The crossing will be situated on one of London’s busiest roads – the North Circular at the Henlys Corner junction. But planners insist it will not cause traffic chaos.

The system will come into operation in December when the junction fully reopens after a massive ten-month upgrade costing £8 million.

The decision to include automatic crossings was taken after leaders at Finchley United Synagogue explained their predicament to staff at Transport for London, which is responsible for maintaining main roads in the capital. TfL says the ‘hands-free’ green man has not added to the cost of improvements.

A spokesman said: ‘We always consult with the community over major road projects. This idea was suggested by the synagogue, whose members asked if it could be done. We thought about it and came to the conclusion that it could.’

No one at the synagogue was available for comment because of the Jewish New Year. But one of the congregation said: ‘This is a sensible idea that will make a real difference.’

The move follows the controversial formation of an eruv – a boundary recognised by Jewish law within which certain activities are permitted – in the same part of North London.

Although observant Jews are allowed to carry household objects such as door keys, and to push prams and wheelchairs within the six-square-mile area, they are still banned from using electricity.

the buttons are gross anyways. i dont want to touch them. they should get rid of all of them.

Isn't it about time they stepped out of the bronze age? jus' saying...

What kind of god cares if you use electricity or not!? >_> Are these people allowed to use medical equipment or are they super strict like some Jehovah Witnesses who'd rather see their kids die of bloodloss than let a heathen give them blood. And doesn't the brain use electricity?

forest-spirit said: What kind of god cares if you use electricity or not!? >_> Are these people allowed to use medical equipment or are they super strict like some Jehovah Witnesses who'd rather see their kids die of bloodloss than let a heathen give them blood. And doesn't the brain use electricity?

They better not go on space missions to colonize space. They won't make it past the Sabbath.

That's going past the point of religious tolerance and into the territory of ridiculous.

8 million taxpayer pounds (not even just dollars) so some Jews don't have to touch a button? Come on that's ridiculous. So what did they do in the 50 years before this new change? Just jaywalk and not press the button?

O.o that's just overkill, and in my personal opinion, in this present day and age, absolutely moronic.

Seems a non-issue to me, given that they were already doing major renovations and they claimed that the cost was non-prohibitive in light of the renovations already occurring

While it does seem extreme that Orthodox Judaism has defined their views so incompatibly with, you know, modern society, it does not seem to have imposed much of a social burden in this case

I agree, its moronic they spent that much to make a hands free sensor. I doubt those hands free hand dryers at Ikea cost 8 million. Talk about inefficiency.

Why didn't they just get a lollipop lady/man from a nearby school to work saturdays? Probably would have made more sense, and have saved them messing with the traffic lights.