Timeline of the Jewish Community of Northern New Jersey

The Jewish Standard, New Jersey's oldest Anglo-Jewish newspaper was founded in Hudson County by Morris J. Janoff. The newspaper moved to Bergen County in the early 1950s.

The George Washington Bridge was constructed over the Hudson River connecting Washington Heights in Manhattan to Fort Lee in Bergen County, New Jersey. Over the next several decades many New Yorkers, including Jewish families, found Bergen County to be a conveniently accessible location to live and commute into the City.  At the time it was constructed it was the world's largest suspension bridge span at 3,750 ft.

Teaneck's growing Jewish community organized their first congregation and used Israel Doskow's art studios as a place to conduct services. Rose Doskow served on the Board of Directors of the Teaneck Jewish Community Center. The congregation's first President was Dr. Barnet S. Bookstaver, who later served as President of the Teaneck Board of Health. The first Rabbi was David W. Irshman.

The Jewish Community Council of Paterson was created to provide a central coordinating structure for all Paterson Jewish organizations. The Council's stated goals were to strengthen Jewish life from within while protecting against the forces of anti-Semitism from without; to empower Jewish culture and education, to cooperate with national organizations, to maintain and preserve Jewish traditions and to protect the dignity and honor of our people.

Band photograph of the Preiskel-Miller Post 147 of the Jewish War Veterans of Passaic, NJ. Robert Preiskel and Harry Miller were the first two Jewish servicemen from Passaic who died in WWI.

The Jewish Community Council of Passaic and vicinity was legally incorporated by the State of New Jersey. The Council was formed to bring order to the philanthropic efforts and to provide the Jewish community with an official spokesman whose voice would represent unity.

The Yeshiva of Hudson County opened with eight students. Its first main building was located at the Five Corners. Talmud Torah in Jersey City before moving to Union City in 1947. As the population it served shifted to Bergen County, the school was renamed Yeshiva of North Jersey and opened at several Bergen County sites before moving to River Edge in 1993.

Paterson area orphans were housed at the Daughters of Miriam in Clifton, NJ. By 1950 this program was phased out and with the help of the Jewish Social Services Bureau, the children were placed in foster homes or were given up for adoption.

Oscar r. Wilensky of Passaic was elected to the New Jersey state Senate, becoming the first State Senator of the Jewish faith. He previously served from 1936-1939 as a New Jersey State Assemblyman from Passaic County.

The Passaic YMHA acquired a building, the Knights of Columbus Hall at Washington Place and Hoover, and adapted it for their use. The “Y” became a true community center offering a variety of social, recreational, educational, and cultural activities.

As was the case during World War I, the Paterson YM-YWHA initiated a program offering full services to visiting soldiers and sailors. These included use of the pool and shower rooms, coffee, and sandwiches, USO dances, Passover seders, and High Holy Day services.

The Yavneh Academy founded as the Paterson Yavneh Yeshiva, with six children registered in its kindergarten, was originally located on Graham Avenue. Two years later, they shared a building with the Talmud Torah in a building on 11th Avenue and in 1950 the two schools merged.

Many of these graduates were sent to Europe and the South Pacific to staff field hospitals during WWII.

The Clifton Jewish Center was organized with Maurice Karp serving as its first President. Their first permanent headquarters was the Old District Court Building. In 1949, ground was broken for a new building on the corner of Delaware and Barkley avenues which became the hub of all Jewish communal life in Clifton. 

These were anxious times for Jewish families who feared sending their children off to war, while at the same time worrying about loved ones trapped in Europe.

The Jewish Social Services Bureau of Paterson was established to oversee the welfare of the city's homeless Jewish children. It grew to also offer comprehensive social services to families in the entire Jewish community. Over the years the agency developed a range of counseling and social services to individuals and families under stress. In 1975 they moved to the North Jersey YM-YWHA in Wayne.