Temple Avodat Shalom

Temple Avodat Shalom is a warm and welcoming Jewish center for prayer, learning, and friendship. It is a Reform Congregation with a dynamic and very approachable rabbi and a talented and warm cantor. The Religious School provides an individualized education with many family centered programs geared to develop a desire for life long Jewish learning in its students. I am very thankful that I found TAS 17 years ago.

Temple Avodat Shalom is a place filled with warm people and an indredible energy. Stop by on Sunday morning when the building is bustling with children in religious school and their parents. Organized chaos in the best way. My favorite, even though my children are in high school and college, is arriving early for services on the first Friday of the month and seeing a room packed for tot shabbat. There are young families along with more tenured members bringing their grandchildren and all are having fun. Both of my children stayed involved after they became a Bat Mitzvah through hebrew high school, youth group and as Madrichim (teaching assistants) in our religious school. There are probably 30-40 high school teenagers who come in Sunday morning voluntarily to be Madrichim. What great examples for the children in the school!

Our clergy is great.

A warm and welcoming congregation which offers a sense of community, a feeling of belonging and a deep commitment to Judaism. Our wonderful rabbi and cantor are enthusiastic and caring. Services are filled with worship, song and joy. We also have a vibrant Religious School. Social activities are numerous--Sisterhood, Brotherhood, Young Families and more are always planning something.

I originally liked it. Reform liturgy with a traditional feel (except for the music). Options for those who wished to avoid the noisy family service. Unfortunately, the Rabbi prized the almighty dollar above the feelings of its congregants by its leadership unilaterally changing the Sabbath prayerbook and by making a major liturgical change for the High Holidays without running it by the Religious Activities Committee (which I was on) or informing the congregation. Hear the new Rabbi is not bad. The sad thing is that in Bergen County, there is not much choice.

A great home to worship, learn and celebrate. Lots of young families. A ton of activities. My family receives the same warm welcome we did on our very first visit.