The piping marks a religious enclosure called an eruv, which symbolically extends the private domain of a Jewish home in public areas - permitting Orthodox Jews to participate in activities banned on the sabbath - things like carrying keys or pushing strollers.
Longtime Mahwah resident Dolores Gianni said initially, she wasn't aware of what the markers stood for, but she has been noticing an influx of people in Mahwah.
"When I bring my grandchildren to the parks, bus loads are sitting in the park with people in it who the hell are they?" asked Gianni.
