Temple groundbreaking marks a rebirth
Tanya Buva
Special to The Mirror

On May 4 many Highland Park community members were gathered joyfully at 10:30 AM in front of the Highland Park Conservative Temple-Congregation Anshe Emeth (HPCT-CAE) for a ground-breaking ceremony. This ceremony on South Third Avenue marked a new beginning, not only for the Jewish community but the borough of Highland Park as well.

Speeches were welcomed from President of the Congregation, Sam Kamens; borough council president Elsie Foster-Dublin; and Rabbi Yakov Hilsenrath, Rabbi Emeritus. Sam Kamens read Gov. Corzine's proclamation in his absence. After the speeches and invocation, the ceremonial shovel was wielded by congregation chairs Michael and Kaplan; Joe and Harriet Tabak; and Devorah and Sam Kamens.

The first synagogue in Highland Park, HPCT-CAE has existed for nearly 80 years. It was first established at the Masonic Temple building at Raritan and North Fourth Avenues, with the primary purpose to provide a Hebrew school for the Jewish community. The current building was constructed in two parts, in 1948 and during the 1950s.

Sadly, on August 24, 2006 the temple was rendered unusable in an electrical fire, posing a monumental challenge for all community members. This was a disheartening day as the temple building held memories for so many and served as a haven for many others.

Still, leaders of the synagogue looked at this cloud and saw an opportunity to modernize their building, and be environmentally conscious at the same time.

"As sad as the fire was for all of us, it gave us the opportunity to reassess our building needs,” said Gayle Brill Mittler, another co-chair of the congregation. “Revamping the layout will better suit the needs of our approximately 500-family congregation."

The new temple design is planned to facilitate additional worship space, meeting rooms, cafe and lounge to accommodate wireless Internet users; a state-of-the-art daycare center; showplace for movie series; and adult education and cultural programs. These amenities are designed to address the needs of today's HPCT-CAE members: singles, young married couples, young families, middle-aged families and couples, and seniors.

Approximately $2.7 million was raised for the temple by the community members, Mittler said.

This congregation has proven a catalyst for the growing and thriving Jewish community throughout Middlesex County in the mid-20th Century. Today, descendants of the original founders of the synagogue are still active participants in the community.  Many of the members actually moved to Highland Park to be closer to the synagogue and community.

HPCT-CAE is a spiritual and cultural center that welcomes all Jews and members of the surrounding community. This ceremony was truly a joyous occasion for the entire town of Highland Park, as the crowd cheered while many captured a remarkable moment on their cell phone cameras.

The ceremony’s timing was especially auspicious, as it opened the week marking the 60th anniversary of Israel’s declaration of independence. An evening of music, food, and revelry marked the independence holiday later that night at the Conservative Temple.