Freehold Jewish Center
Congregation Agudath Achim
59 Broad Street,
Freehold NJ 07728
Background: The Freehold Jewish Center (FJC) was founded in 1911, making it one of the oldest congregations in central New Jersey. It is located in the county seat of Freehold, and much has changed for the congregation, the county and, of course, the world over the last century.
The shul has a legacy of traditional conservatism and prides itself as a hamish place to pray, meet new friends and connect with others in the community.
The FJC was originally located on Center Street in the Borough of Freehold in a building that featured a Mikvah in the basement. Post-WWII Western Monmouth County saw a large influx of Jewish immigrants. Although many did not speak much English, they knew the value of a plot of land, and were willing to work it. Soon many farms in the area, including egg, chicken and various vegetable farms, supported these immigrants and their growing families.
By the late 1940s the FJC needed to expand the shul and chose 59 Broad St. in Freehold as a location to construct a new building, featuring a midcentury-inspired sanctuary adorned with custom stained-glass windows and a unique barrel ceiling. A full-sized gym was a centerpiece of the new building, which included a stage and kosher kitchen.
The building was named the Freehold Jewish Center to better reflect the expanded services and offerings. The congregation continued to grow and expand as new families moved to Western Monmouth County, buying newly constructed homes in developments on numerous subdivisions sprouting up all over the area. Many of these developments were built on the sites of what had previously been Jewish farms, and a number of local builders were the children or grandchildren of those early immigrants.
The late 60s into the 1970s brought continued growth to Western Monmouth County and to its Jewish community. The FJC added more square footage to their building to accommodate a growing membership and Hebrew school. The addition seamlessly integrated with the existing building. A final expansion was opened in 1973, adding classrooms and a flex space able to host simchas, lectures and kiddushes.
As the millennium approached and the area’s demographics were again changing, new residential construction started to slow. Families looking for a better place to raise their children, with good schools and public transportation for commuting to New York City, were still coming to the area, but at a slower pace. The days of Shul office phones ringing and tours being given to new Jewish families moving to the area has slowed markedly. The challenges faced by the FJC are not that different from those of many of the shuls and temples in the surrounding area.
The FJC of today is a much different place than it was in the early, mid and later 20th century. The trustees of the FJC and members still consider this a center for Jewish connection and celebration, for prayer and learning.
Volunteerism can be a struggle when members’ ages begin to limit driving at night or health issues make attending regular morning minyans or Friday and Saturday services much more difficult. The FJC continues to program and engage with members and offer diverse options for participation for members and the Jewish community at large.
Change is inevitable, but a commitment to innovate, stay relevant, and embrace new approaches to outreach are all part of the FJC’s plan moving forward.
The FJC continues to program and offer learning opportunities to members and the Jewish community at large. Cultural connections, arts-related programs and group discussions of current events concerning local and global issues have been produced. Full length feature films are shown periodically and are often followed by a discussion of the film and its themes.
Partnerships with local theatrical groups and musical programming offer connections to a long legacy of Jewish traditions such as Yiddish theater, classical music and musical theater to name just a few. Jewish holidays offer opportunities to create Passover plates and bring our membership together for Shabbat Across America, or meals in the Sukkah where opportunities to learn are enjoyed along with breaking challah or matzo together.
The important thing is to stay connected and to participate. Through it all, FJC continues to maintain a welcoming atmosphere to all who are looking for a place to meet new people and rediscover the many meaningful, multi-faceted gifts being Jewish, has to offer.
We invite you to contact us or stop in during regular office hours. Stay connected and find a place to call your spiritual, social and educational home, to gain strength from all those pioneers, immigrants, trailblazers, young and old members, past, present and future to continue the great American Jewish story in central New Jersey. We welcome new ideas, concepts, creativity and imagination to invigorate and broaden the FJC’s visibility in the Jewish community and beyond.
We cannot wait to meet you!
Office phone: 732-462-0254
Website: Freeholdjewishcenter.org
Development : Michael Berman, swingstreet52@gmail.com
Office Manager: Tracey Barbour, fjcdirector@freeholdjc.org
Joann Abraham began chronicling Jewish life as editor of Monmouth County’s Jewish newspaper, now defunct, and has written for national and international publications. She is a contributing writer to Jlife Magazine.
