In 1941 the idea of organizing a community center was suggested.

There was a favorable response from most of the people but not all wanted just the same thing. Some wanted only a Synagogue; others were more interested in having a meeting place for educational and cultural purposes; also there was expressed a desire for social gatherings. Slowly the idea to have a small Synagogue was changed to that of having a community center which would provide for all these needs for the entire community. When this idea was adopted things began to happen. A number of open meetings were held in the homes of various people. The attendance of each succeeding meeting increased. A Constitution Committee was formed which made contact with The Jewish Agricultural Society, New York City, and within a short time a constitution and by-laws was prepared.

In November, 1941, the first organization meeting was held, at the home of Mr. L. Rosenfield, and the following officers and trustees were elected: Jacob Segal, Pres., Samuel Berk, Treas., Samuel Dorfman, Sec., and Samuel Adler, Abe Dobin, Harry Horlick, Irving Mason, Herman Monhait and Mrs. Fran Weintraub, Trestees.

The first social affair of our newly organized Community Center was a Chanukah party held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Irving Mason. More than 100 men, women and children packed the Mason home to celebrate this occasion. After this affair the organization settled down to serious business.

On January 24, 1942 a general meeting was held, at the White Rose Inn, at which the Certificate of Incorporation was presented and acted upon and the Constitution and By-Laws were read and adopted. All these papers had been prepared by Mr. P. R. Strisk, of The Jewish Agricultural Society, and he was present at the meeting to advise regarding their adoption. And so we were legally organized as of January 24, 1942.

A cemetery committee, which had been set up in response to the expressed need of many members, after long and painstaking investigations, recommended the purchase of some plots at the Washington Cemetery, Deans, NJ. In short order the purchase was made. The unanimous opinion of the organization was that cemetery would be available on a non-profit basis. There remained then the one big problem - the purchase of a site for a community center and the building of such a Center. Committees had been set up to consider these matters. Before anything concrete could be done, however, it was necessary to see what money could be raised with which to do these things.

Purim night, March 1, 1942, a special meeting was held at the New Brunswick Community Center. A speaking program had been arranged, musical talent had been provided and refreshments prepared. The attendance, though small in number was great in enthusiasm. The guest speakers were Professor J. S. Joffe and Commissioner S. D. Hoffman. Chairman of the evening was Samuel Adler. The high point of the meeting, of course, was the appeal for the funds with which to go ahead with our Center. The appeal was made by Abraham Dobin. Much to his and everyone else's surprise pledges were made for $1600.

On the strength of this remarkable showing the committees were encouraged to proceed with the matters of purchasing land and erecting a Center. Within a few weeks a site had been selected and by June 1 we owned our land. An application was then made to The Jewish Agricultural Society for a loan of $2,500. In short order this loan was granted. Without any delay the actual work on the building was started and within approximately four months our Center was completed.

While the building was still unfinished, Rosh Hashonah, Yom Kippur and Simchat-Torah were observed. Attendance was very good and everyone was impressed by the fact that even in its unfinished state our Center was already serving us.

Thus, within the period of a year, what started out as a vague idea in the minds of a few men was transformed into an organization of about 60 families and this beautiful building we are now dedicating. In all modesty, we feel this is a remarkable achievement. It has been possible only because we have people in our ranks who have the courage of their convictions, who are intelligent and capable and who, above all, have shown a wonderful spirit of harmony and cooperation.

The dedication was held, appropriately enough, on a Chanukah evening, December 5, 1942. The building being dedicated was "beautiful" in its simplicity - a 30' x 60' A-roofed frame building. It had been constructed during the depths of World War II - under great handicaps of shortages of lumber, heating equipment and plumbing supplies. The 2" x 6" framing material was creosoted long leaf yellow pine timbers from an elevated structure in New York City. The building had no central heating system and the water supply was from a very shallow well - only 7' deep because of the solid underlying blue rock. An electric pump supplied the water to the bathrooms - when there was water. Heat was provided by two oil space heaters - one in the coat room (now our library) and one just inside the sanctuary. The heaters were lit whenever the building was used - during cold weather. Needless to say it was far from adequate. Despite these problems a Sunday Hebrew School was established the following month - January 1943 - with eighteen pupils.

Membership increased rather slowly since most of the Jewish families in the area had joined during the first year or two. The great majority of the member families were farmers - poultry, dairy and general farming. Membership dues, which started at six dollars per year very soon increased to thirteen dollars - and every few years thereafter increased to try to keep pace with the increasing costs of Synagogue life.

During the first decade several important changes took place. A central heating system - forced hot air - was installed and paid for by special assessment. One hundred twenty folding wooden chairs were purchased. Twenty four folding bridge tables were bought with funds raised by tabletop advertising - netting a handsome profit as well.

By 1951 the 240 cemetery plots, purchased in 1942 for $900. were fully paid for. The $2500. mortgage from the Jewish Agricultural Society - at 111X interest - was paid off just before the Tenth Anniversary was celebrated, by a dinner and program, on a Chanukah evening in December 1952. The "burning of the mortgage" was part of the program. During the next fifteen years some interior structural and cosmetic changes were made - new wall paneling, new lighting arrangement, a permanent stage was built replacing the temporary movable one.

In 1956 additional cemetery land was purchased - 320 plots at a cost of $3000. This was repaid by 1966. By 1963 the membership profile had changed considerably. Farming had declined due to age and economics. On September 16, 1963 the name changed from "Jewish Farmers Community Center of Middlesex County" to "Jewish Community Center of South Brunswick". Shortly thereafter we adopted the name of our congregation: "Congregation Sharri Shalom" - (Gates of Peace).

For the first twenty five years our Synagogue services were conducted by elders of our congregation. Occasionally a cantor was engaged for the High Holy Days. The women of the center had organized from the very beginning of the organization as the "Ladies Auxiliary". Later it was to become the "Sisterhood of Congregation Sharri Sholom".

We approached the twenty-fifth year of existence with a declining membership due to the moving away and death of members. Enrollment in our Sunday Hebrew School had dwindled to about six or eight children due to lack of new Jewish families in the area. The few pupils were farmed out to other Hebrew Schools in Synagogues around us - South River, Kendall Park and Princeton. The future looked very bleak - the pool of Jewish families in the area was drying up. In early 1967, in our twenty-fifth year, new life was injected into the organization. Young Jewish families, primarily from recently developed communities in North Brunswick, showed an interest in joining our Synagogue. However, they wanted to have a rabbi and a three-day Hebrew School. For the members of the "Jewish Community Center of South Brunswick" this meant a new, great investment - to engage a rabbi for the first time and to build additional facilities to provide for classrooms and an apartment for the rabbi.

The membership had a most difficult decision to make. It was a chance to re-vitalize our congregation at tremendous new expense or to go out of existence. They chose to expand. In the fall of 1967 our first rabbi was hired - a part time student rabbi. Our "Silver Anniversary" was celebrated in December 1967.

By the fall of 1970 we had our new building - a $75,000 addition to the original structure. It provided four classrooms an apartment for the rabbi, a new stage area, with built-in Ahrun-Kodesh, new centralized hot-water heating and air-conditioning. This is our present structure. The dedication of this new addition was held in December 1970.

Since 1967 we have had six rabbis - four part-time rabbis and two full-time rabbis. In May 1975 we acquired the adjacent property - four acres with a dwelling, garage and outbuildings. One of the outbuildings has been converted into a youth lounge. In the early fall of 1975 we established our Nursery School. Part of the new acreage is used for the Nursery School playground.

Today (circa June 1975) we have a well rounded program of activities – complete religious service, a three-day Hebrew School, a Nursery School, Kadima and USY groups, an on-going adult education program, Sisterhood and Men's Club affiliates. Our 35th Anniversary is being celebrated on a date half way between the date of our first organization meeting, November 1941 and the date of the dedication of our first building in December 1942 - it is in fact a double Chai!