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- Religious Services
- Holiday Programs
- Religious School
- Adult Education
- Youth Groups USY & KADIMA
- Junior Congregation
- Musical Shabbat together with Cantor Paul Zim
- Congregational Shabbat Dinners
- Sisterhood
- Men's Club
- And much more..
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The Main Sanctuary seats 334 people and can be expanded for larger services. The Daily Sanctuary, used for daily services, seats 90 people.
Having a simcha? Whether it's a bar/bat mitzvah, Brit Milah, baby naming, aufruf, birthday, anniversary, or retirement party, we have the space for you. Our Social Hall can accomodate up to 250 people and is conveniently located close to both the Main Sanctuary and kitchen.
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The cornerstone for Congregation Gesher Shalom Jewish Community Center of Fort Lee was dedicated on October 29, 1961. It marked an important milestone in the history of the Jewish Community Center, which grew from a small congregation to one of the largest in Bergen County. When the Center was completed, it housed a magnificent sanctuary, a chapel for daily prayer, a library, gymnasium, swimming pool and health club (no longer), and a youth lounge. The facility was the answer to a long-cherished dream to provide the Jewish community with a religious, educational and recreational center.
Officially, the Center was established in 1950. Unofficially, it was in existence many more years than can be documented by records. Around 1910, a meager handful of the Jewish faith lived in the Fort Lee area. Not strong enough in numbers to build a house of worship, they conducted services in private homes which continued to be the situation for many years.
The Center was formally incorporated in 1950 with some 38 families as Charter Members -- still too few in numbers to consider the construction of a building. Meetings and religious school classes were conducted in the Masonic Temple. Reverend Robert Clarke of the Church of the Good Shepherd took an interest in the problems facing the Jewish community, so he and the members of his church made their parish hall available for worship and use during the Jewish holidays.
Toward the close of 1951, the congregation had grown enough to think in terms of a spiritual leader. Shortly thereafter, Rabbi Solomon Rothstein assumed the duties of Rabbi.
The Jewish community continued to grow in subsequent years. In 1953, a building campaign was instituted. In September of 1954, a Center was built which was modest in size and, within a few years, the original building became inadequate. In 1958, plans were formulated for a new Center, which is the building that we are in today.
In its 50 plus years of existence, the synagogue has had four spiritual leaders. Rabbi Rothstein, after over 20 years as our spiritual leader, relocated his family to California. Rabbi Irving Spielman became the new spiritual leader at that time, and remained until his retirement in June 2001. Rabbi Michael Klayman served from 2001 until June 2004.
Today, our growth continues. We are a spiritual, cultural, social and learning center in the heart of Fort Lee.
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