When families are prioritizing in advance of a move, there are many factors to consider. Cost, of course, is paramount, likely followed by proximity to work or ease of commute and quality of schools. Located in the Watchung Mountains, the township of West Orange, New Jersey, fulfills each of those very important criteria.
West Orange offers housing at a variety of price points, giving the buyer more for his money in every price range. Deena Rubin, real estate consultant at Keller Williams Suburban Realty, commented, “ As a 24 year resident of West Orange, and a realtor for 15 of those years, I have seen the community grow and flourish into a vibrant modern Orthodox community that offers something for everyone – accessible commute to NYC; shuls, including a thriving Sephardic minyan and a local Chabad; a wide range of housing options from $300,000 to million dollar homes all within walking distance to a shul; nursery program and day camp; excellent community schools. In West Orange, it is truly ‘come as you are’ and when you do, you will instantly experience the sincere warmth of our residents and inclusion of people from all walks of life. Plus there are huge incentives for first time home buyers through our shuls, school and JCC!”
The township is located within 20 miles of New York City, giving the commuter easy access via bus, train and PATH. Michael Diamond, a West Orange resident and marketing chair of Congregation Ohr Torah, commented, “It’s deceptively easy for people to commute to work with multiple transport options.”
Andrew Yolin, another township resident and head of the marketing committee at Congregation Ahawas Achim B’nai Jacob and David (AABJ&D), said, “It’s kind of remarkable that for such an established community, we are still a hidden gem located less than 20 miles from Manhattan. It’s time to get the word out about West Orange.”
West Orange also has many options when it comes to schools. The Lauren Elise Bier Nursery School at AABJ&D “provides a warm, loving and nurturing environment where children play, socialize, explore, create and learn,” says the “Discover West Orange” website. The school is designed as a multi-year progressive program, starting at age 1 and continuing through age 5.
Erica Bank, a West Orange resident for 11 ½ years and early childhood chair at AABJ&D, noted that three of her four children graduated from the preschool (the fourth is currently in the twos) and were “ready to begin their formal learning at Kushner. The nursery school gave them a love of learning and a love of Jewish identity, and they are all very different kinds of learners. I am thrilled we made the choice we did for our children’s early childhood education.”
Bank also spoke about Camp Shemesh at AABJ&D, the preschool camp on the synagogue’s premises. “Camp Shemesh continues where the preschool leaves off, continuing the children’s passion for Judaism and learning through the summer months,” she said.
Bank believes that having a preschool and camp in the synagogue building gives children a love for, and connection to, the physical space. “My kids all loved to take my hand and show me their classroom,” she added. “Being in the building gives them a sense of ownership.”
Beyond preschool, neighboring towns have excellent yeshivos, providing families with options for their children’s schooling. The combination of Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy (JKHA), located in Livingston, and JEC, in Elizabeth, offers something for every academic need families may have.
Families concerned about the costs of suburban life or yeshiva tuition need look no further than the community’s New Family Incentive program. It offers newcomers to the community financial advantages which can begin immediately, and could total over $50,000. There are synagogue discounts and benefits, including membership and preschool, tuition discounts at JKHA and even membership and camp discounts at the JCC MetroWest, located in West Orange.
For observant families, once you get past the basic criteria, the next three community must-haves are typically eruv, mikvah and kosher food and shopping. West Orange has those bases covered. The West Orange eruv has been in place since 1983, was expanded fairly recently and is checked weekly. The mikvah has been a strong and vibrant institution in the community for decades and community leaders have helped ensure that it remains a haven of privacy and aesthetic comforts while maintaining the highest halachic standards. As for kosher food and shopping, the greater community boasts more than a dozen kosher eateries and shopping establishments, including Shoprite’s Kosher Village, restaurants, Judaica and specialty shops. Whether sit-down or take-out; Shabbos specials, sushi, pizza or Chinese; milchig, fleishig or pareve—all manner of culinary desires can be met in and around the township’s borders.
Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler, spiritual leader of AABJ&D, believes that one of the benefits of living in West Orange is that “you are part of a kehillah—as much or as little as you want. I am there to inspire people when they want to grow, but I am not determining their growth. There is room in West Orange for people to determine what growth means to them. Some people don’t want to grow and that’s OK also.”
He continued by touting the community’s diversity. “We offer a sense of acceptance of all people. Of course, there are absolutes, but everyone respects each other across the spectrum. We are non-judgmental and much less polarized than the greater Jewish community. West Orange is a place where you can be who you are. There is no ‘have to be.’ Here, it’s all about what you want to be.”
Alana Schwartz, a relative newcomer to West Orange, offered her personal perspective on the community, “My husband and I visited West Orange for the first time in 2013, when we attended AABJ&D’s Purim carnival. The first thing we were struck by were the children—not in an overwhelming, ‘too many kids around’ way but, rather, in a ‘wow, this would be an amazing place to raise our son’ way. We felt the warmth of the community right away, as we were immediately greeted by a number of people, including Rabbi Zwickler. That day led to us visiting the community for a Shabbat a few weeks later, which led to us looking for a house a few weeks after that. Now we’ve been here for 2 1/2 years and know that we chose the right community and the right place to raise our children. It’s such a warm community and we love that everyone knows and cares about each other’s children, and that the township is so close to Manhattan (where I commute daily).”
West Orange also has an active recreation department, which accommodates Orthodox families by offering Sunday sports options. Diamond commented, “I was pleasantly surprised at how welcome the Orthodox community is within West Orange. One prime example of this is the amazing youth sports programs. My kids are always included as they have Sunday options for all the sports. Whether it’s basketball, soccer or baseball—just visit a field on a Sunday morning or weeknight and you’ll see someone from our community.”
Outside of its Jewish life, West Orange offers many attractions for adults, children and families. The South Mountain Recreation Complex includes the Richard J. Codey Skating Arena, Turtle Back Zoo, Safari Mini Golf and Treetop Adventure Course, in addition to a beautiful walking trail, boating and Pirate Park. The AMC Dine-In Theater at Essex Green 9, OSPAC outdoor amphitheater, township pool complex, equestrian center, hiking trails and, of course, Thomas Edison National Historic Park and Museum offer large-scale entertainment close to home.
Diamond said, “I think what makes West Orange special is that even though the community is large it feels like a much smaller community. There are multiple Modern Orthodox shuls, but people identify themselves more as West Orangers than by their shul affiliation. Even though I seasonally go to Ohr Torah, I find that friendships span across the community regardless of shul or school affiliation.”
Rabbi Marc Spivak, spiritual leader of Congregation Ohr Torah, agrees. “What I believe is truly special about West Orange is how well the shuls and people from all walks of life get along and are willing to pitch in and help out. Whenever my wife or I make calls to invite people over for Shabbos, we will always find that we have to call a few families because the people we call have already been invited out by someone else. It is so nice to see people who might normally daven at AABJ&D walking to us in order to eat on our side or visa versa, with three or four couples getting together to share a Shabbos meal. A few weeks ago we had an Achdus Shabbos Friday night meal. There was no speaker or special occasion, the event was just for us to all get together and enjoy Shabbos. Members of the shul all pitched in with cooking and prepared everything. We provided babysitting and the event was packed with young children and young families staying late, as everyone had such a wonderful time that no one wanted to leave,” Spivak said.
Zwickler concluded, “People want a community that can add to their and their family’s life in a positive way. West Orange is that community.”
To showcase the town, there will be a Discover West Orange Shabbaton on March 25-26. All are welcome, but registration is required. For more information or to register, please visit the website at www.discoverwestorange.com.
By Jill Kirsch
