History unearthed at site of former synagogue

By Sarah Morrison
August 1, 2008 

A ceremony to dedicate a new Woodbridge veterinary hospital brought bittersweet memories to members of the former Congregation Adath Israel. The July 28 ribbon-cutting ceremony included the presentation of a time capsule and a dinner-dance guestbook from the temple, found during the conversion of the former temple into a veterinary office -- relics of what's left of the shul.  

Congregation Adath Israel merged with Neve Shalom, Metuchen, in May of 2006. Neve Shalom sold the building to the veterinary hospital of Dr. Barry Adler and Dr. Ira Niedwske, which moved from its former location in Iselin.

Mayor John McCormac addressed the transition from temple to veterinary hospital as part of his opening speech at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"Before this was a veterinary hospital, this was Congregation Adath Israel," McCormac said. "For members of the congregations present (at the ceremony), I'm sure that this is a bittersweet time for them. It served as a synagogue in our town for many, many years before it closed several years ago and members moved on to different temples."

Former member Rita Rosen addressed the crowd after Mayor McCormac's speech.

"As they say, there's a time for everything in life. The temple had been a vital part of our lives," said Rosen, who saw the b'nai mitzvot of her children, her grandson's bris, and her husband's funeral with Adath Israel since she joined in 1964. "Dr. Adler purchased the building, and [in its place], there's a beautiful edifice here dedicated to the good health of our best friends."

Former Adath Israel President Sandra Goldberg was then presented with the time capsule and the guestbook, in what she later described as a difficult and emotional moment.

"As the mayor said, this is a bittersweet day for us," Goldberg said to the audience. "I know that Dr. Adler and his partner are going to take good care of this building. The temple has a very rich history and I want to publicly thank Dr. Adler for letting us know about the wonderful time capsule that he found. It means a lot to us who belonged here for many, many years."

Goldberg said that there was a ceremony when the capsule was buried in 1948. After that, however, people seemed to forget about it until Adler uncovered it and the guestbook while renovating the building into the veterinary office.

"With all the subcontractors doing work behind the walls, it was uncovered," Adler said. "There was an ark in the library. It was taken away from the wall and the wall was broken into. The book was behind the wall. When they were doing work in the rabbi's office, which is basically in the same corner where the cornerstone is, they found the time capsule there."

A plaque dedicated to war veterans facing Amboy Ave. was discovered when shrubs and trees were cleared away from the strip of grass. Adler left the plaque and placed a flagpole beside it, where it remains as a memorial to Adath Israel.

"We made a nice area for it," Dr. Adler said.

The time capsule contained various newspaper articles about the new building; a picture from the groundbreaking in 1948; a letter from the man who donated the land, Abraham Neiss, asking for donations for the building; an invitation to the consecration of the cornerstone; and a brief history of the temple. The 40th anniversary dinner-dance guestbook dated back to 1953 and included signatures of state senators of the time, who were members of Adath Israel. The items will be on display at Neve Shalom.

Adath Israel was the last remaining congregation in its immediate area. A congregation in Iselin merged with Adath Israel in the early 1980s, one in Avanel closed, and one in Colonia merged with Neve Shalom as well. This was the last remaining synagogue in Woodbridge Township.

"This was a really hard day for a lot of people, as the mayor said, it was bittersweet," Goldberg said. "We love our congregation and it's hard to let go. We could hold on forever, but unfortunately, it didn't hold out that way."