Temple Sholom was founded as the Jewish Community Association of River Edge in 1952 and soon adopted its permanent name. The congregation rented a former church building for its Temple and religious school in 1952, and in 1962 it moved into its present home at 385 Howland Avenue in River Edge. The building was substantially renovated and expanded in 2004. Over the years, Temple Sholom grew into a vibrant, multi-faceted synagogue serving families in River Edge, Paramus, Oradell, Teaneck, Washington Township, Hackensack, Fair Lawn and New Milford, and many other surrounding towns. The congregation was served by six rabbis in its fifty-seven year history, notably Rabbi Joseph Rudavsky from 1962-1988 and now Rabbi Emeritus, and Rabbi Neal I. Borovitz who has been its spiritual leader since 1988. Cantor Ronit Josephson joined Temple Sholom in 1995.
Temple Avoda of Fair Lawn, formally called the Reform Temple of Fair Lawn, began in September 1953 when four couples met to explore the idea of forming a liberal congregation in Fair Lawn. Avoda affiliated with the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) in June 1954. Between the years 1954 and 1957 the congregation would meet at each other’s homes, Thomas Jefferson Junior High School and the Fair Lawn Beach Club. They began the Religious School in February 1954 with 19 students meeting at Henry Milnes School. As the congregation grew they knew they needed their own building. Thanks to the Jewish War Veterans a new home at 10-10 Plaza Road, Fair Lawn was built, where they remained for over 50 years.
In January 2009, Temple Sholom and Temple Avoda unified and is now known as Temple Avodat Shalom, which means “Service of Peace.” Our combined congregation, with its fifty-seven year history in Bergen County, now serves over 500 families and is affiliated with the Union of Reform Judaism (URJ, formerly the UAHC).