Temple Sharey Tefilo’s history goes back to 1874 when ten Orange, New Jersey merchants, including the five Harris brothers, met in a small room above a storefront on Cleveland Street to establish Congregation Sharey Tefilo of Orange. Twenty-one years later, the congregation moved into a Moorish-style wooden building, reminiscent of the architecture of eastern European synagogues. This served as the congregation’s home until 1927 when Rabbi Stephen Wise dedicated the congregation’s imposing, Grecian-pillared Temple on Prospect Street in East Orange. Founded as an Orthodox synagogue, in 1921 the congregation affiliated with the Reform movement. Eight rabbis and three cantors, including Rabbi Avraham Soltes, Rabbi Charles Annes and Cantor Theodore Aronson served the congregation whose membership dramatically increased as the Jewish community migrated to the suburbs following World War II.
In April of 1948, 229 families from Sharey Tefilo, citing the need for a new type of religious experience, established Temple Israel in South Orange. Within a year, the congregation had purchased the beautiful Kip-Riker mansion on two and one half acres of land, the current site of our congregation. Temple Israel, led by Rabbi Herbert Weiner and Cantor Abe Levitt, grew in both size and innovation. Expansions of the facility took place in 1953 and in 1963.
Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel
The blending of our Temple families into a single congregation once again, occurred in 1982, when the 500 members of Sharey Tefilo carried their Torahs into the Temple Israel sanctuary. The lessons learned while apart made us stronger and more viable than ever before. Today our sacred congregation, Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, continues a proud tradition, thriving rich in spirit and strong in number. During the years we have been joined together we have watched our Temple grow, attract many young, new members, deepen our roots in the community, and develop excellent programming for members from pre-school to senior citizens. As a congregation we have made significant contributions to the well being of American Reform Judaism and a spiritual, ethical, social, and community impact in the lives of our Temple family members.
Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel creates a bridge between the warmth of Jewish tradition and the challenges of life in the modern world. Throughout the history of our congregation, the ethics and rituals of our people have guided us in creating a vibrant and meaningful Judaism imbued with innovation and relevance.
The blending of our Temple families into a single congregation once again, occurred in 1982, when the 500 members of Sharey Tefilo carried their Torahs into the Temple Israel sanctuary. The lessons learned while apart made us stronger and more viable than ever before. Today our sacred congregation, Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, continues a proud tradition, thriving rich in spirit and strong in number. During the years we have been joined together we have watched our Temple grow, attract many young, new members, deepen our roots in the community, and develop excellent programming for members from pre-school to senior citizens. As a congregation we have made significant contributions to the well being of American Reform Judaism and a spiritual, ethical, social, and community impact in the lives of our Temple family members.
Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel creates a bridge between the warmth of Jewish tradition and the challenges of life in the modern world. Throughout the history of our congregation, the ethics and rituals of our people have guided us in creating a vibrant and meaningful Judaism imbued with innovation and relevance.