A Reform temple and Conservative synagogue in northern New Jersey will officially merge as of the first day of Rosh Hashanah.

Temple Shalom in Franklin, N.J., which is Reform, and the Jewish Center of Sussex County in Newton, N.J., a Conservative congregation, have joined to form B’nai Shalom of Sussex County, the New Jersey Jewish News reported.

The merger is one of scores of similar mergers throughout the United States in recent years, as liberal synagogues face financial challenges and declining membership numbers.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The Jewish Center, which was founded in the early 20th century, has 50 members — down from twice that number 15 years ago.

“We were losing members, and they were struggling. It doesn’t make sense to have two faltering congregations 15 minutes apart when you could have one solid congregation,” Rob Richman, its president — who will now be co-president of the new congregation — told the NJJN.

The 70-member Temple Shalom was itself the product of a 1975 merger between Congregation Sons of Israel and another synagogue.

Rabbi Josh Cantor of Temple Shalom will be spiritual leader of the new congregation, which will use Reform prayer books. The two combined their religious schools last year.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount