Officers
Rabbi - Stanley Skolnik D.D.
Cantor - Yelena Dof-Donskaya
President - Arnold Block
Principal - Linda PoleyeffÂ

Clifton and Bloomfield shuls welcome merger

Temple Ner Tamid, Clifton synagogue combine forces

Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield marked its merger with Beth Sholom Reform Temple of Clifton with a kabalat Shabbat welcoming service on June 5 led by, from left, Cantor Yelena Dof-Donskaya (Beth Sholom), Cantor Meredith Greenberg (Ner Tamid), Rabbi Steven Kushner (Ner Tamid) and Rabbi Stanley Skolnik (Beth Sholom). The merger took effect June 1.

Photo by Michael Reitman

Clifton and Bloomfield shuls welcome merger Temple Ner Tamid, Clifton synagogue combine forces Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield marked its merger with Beth Sholom Reform Temple of Clifton with a kabalat Shabbat welcoming service on June 5 led by, from left, Cantor Yelena Dof-Donskaya (Beth Sholom), Cantor Meredith Greenberg (Ner Tamid), Rabbi Steven Kushner (Ner Tamid) and Rabbi Stanley Skolnik (Beth Sholom). The merger took effect June 1. Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield marked its merger with Beth Sholom Reform Temple of Clifton with a kabalat Shabbat welcoming service on June 5 led by, from left, Cantor Yelena Dof-Donskaya (Beth Sholom), Cantor Meredith Greenberg (Ner Tamid), Rabbi Steven Kushner (Ner Tamid) and Rabbi Stanley Skolnik (Beth Sholom). The merger took effect June 1. The Reform synagogues officially merged on June 1, and the Friday night welcome service launched an array of activities lasting into the fall designed to unite the two communities. Beth Sholom, which celebrates its 50th anniversary with a luncheon later this month, will be dissolved. The building, located at 733 Passaic Ave. in Clifton, will be sold to the Eitz Chaim Foundation of Passaic, associated with the Orthodox Congregation Eitz Chaim there. The Clifton congregation's membership has suffered from shifting demographics today, the area is known for its large Orthodox population. The number of Reform Jews in the area was declining, and economic times meant people could not commit themselves to the synagogue. We had people dropping out, said Beth Sholom president Arnold Block. The synagogue today has 110 family members, down from a peak of about 250. Ner Tamid president Nina Tucker was eager to welcome congregants from Beth Sholom. We're thrilled, she said. It's nice to be chosen for something it's flattering that they like what we do here and they feel they can fit in. And there's really no downside for us. The sale of Beth Sholom's building will bring about $2 million to Ner Tamid; the synagogue also expects to retain about 60 percent of the Clifton synagogue's membership no small thing in a poor economy. More members means more dues, more contributions, and that helps the bottom line, said Tucker. They also have a core group of people who work hard for their community and seem interested in continuing at Temple Ner Tamid. Rabbi Stanley Skolnik, who has served Beth Sholom for 35 years, will become rabbi emeritus of Ner Tamid. Cantor Yelena Dof-Sonskaya, who served Beth Sholom part-time, will not have a role at the Bloomfield temple; instead she will pursue an operatic career. Beth Sholom will also bring to Ner Tamid its four Torah scrolls, yahrtzeit plaques, and artwork, as well as it religious books and stained-glass windows. In addition to the June 5 Shabbat service, Ner Tamid is planning a welcoming event in early September. A formal procession of Torah scrolls from the Clifton temple to their new home in Bloomfield approximately three-and-a-half miles away is being planned for the fall. Beth Sholom began looking for a merger partner about four years ago; although they had negotiations with one or two other synagogues, they were unsuccessful, so instead they tried to rebuild. We updated our building, increased our activities; we were able to grow our religious school, said Block. But when the economic changes began this year, I came to the realization that many of our members would have hardships with their financial obligations.That's when he contacted Temple Ner Tamid's Marge Grayson, who spearheaded the merger on behalf of Ner Tamid. ''This was the friendliest, easiest merger, said Block, who added that the two congregations shared values and religious principles. One of the first things members of the two temples did, Block said, was read each other's constitutions. We stood for the same things: the same attitude toward the role of the non-Jew, mixed families, our feeling that any Jewish family who wants to be connected should be able to.Temple Ner Tamid itself is the product of the 1980 merger of the Conservative Temple B'nai Zion and Reform Temple Menorah, both in Bloomfield. Tucker called that merger much more complicatedthan this one, because there are no religious observance levels or policies to negotiate across denominational divides. That was huge, she said. Both congregations voted in favor of the merger at the end of May. Beth Sholom will hold its last bar mitzva in the building on June 13 and its last services on June 26. Ner Tamid has decided to allow Beth Sholom members to pay dues at their current level for five years. They are significantly lower 20 to 25 percent than Ner Tamid's dues. 'We have a lot going on. I think they'l see that it's worth what we charge. We're thrilled to have them, said Tucker. Comment: comments@njjewishnews.com The purpose of this Congregation shall be to worship God in accordance with the faith of Judaism; to cultivate a love and understanding of the Jewish heritage; to stimulate a fellowship in the Jewish community everywhere; to foster a commitment to the State of Israel; to further the Jewish and Hebrew education of our children for the purpose of ensuring the continuance of our faith; to bring near the Kingdom of God on earth through an emphasis of the principles on righteousness and brotherhood, all in accordance with the principles of Reform Judaism.