Temple Har Shalom, on Mt. Horeb Road, has been "a place to call home" for 40 years, a major milestone with special meaning for local members—and especialy for three of the five original founding members.

These three founding families will be interviewed at a public event in the coming months as part of the 40th anniversary celebration, said Resa Drasin. This event, whose format is still being determined, will be videotaped for others to enjoy.

Drasin has been an active volunteer, serving as president of the board of directors, board member for more than 10 years and chair of the Religious School Committee and most recently as the 40th Anniversary co-chair with her husband, Neal.

They have been temple members since it celebrated its 25th anniversary.

"We met the people and we met the rabbi and it's just a wonderful place to belong," said Drasin, who joined when her daughter was just starting kindergarten and old enough to attend a religious school.

The temple's history also will be commemorated in a yearbook that should be available by May. The book will include this year's celebration and events as well as pictures and stories since the temple's inception.

"We want to create what we look like at 40, so 20 years from now people will go back and say 'look at what they're wearing,'" joked Drasin.

The 40th Anniversary celebrations kicked off last fall with a visit from Linda Fairstein, author of 13 novels. The highlight, which took several months of planning, was the "Fabulous Fashion Forward 40th" gala cocktail party and fundraiser on March 19 that drew more than 200 people.

The night, part of a festive weekend, included a silent auction of items donated by local businesses and members as well as a fashion show. Twenty local models, including Temple staff and local residents,  took to the runway wearing Robert Graham fashions. Robert Stock, the man behind the Robert Graham label, was the master of ceremonies.

The fashion models were Rabbi Randi Musnitsky, Rabbi Marcus Burstein, Temple President Ed Adler, Cantor Anna Berman, Joshua Greenbaum, vice principal and youth director, Sharon Friedman, Director of Education, Sandi Ganz, Ken Neuman and Mark Ruderman, all of Basking Ridge;  Mark Green of Green Brook; Elyse Amedeo of Westfield; Joshua Wang of Bridgewater; Jim Andriola of Watchung, and Lou Friedman, Larry Danielson, Erwin Ganz, John Kaiser, Robert Shapiro, Robert Cohen and Resa Drasin, all of Warren. 

"The fashion show was phenomenal," said Drasin. "It's not something that you'd do every Saturday night."

The temple also hosted Mordechai Rosenstein, who designs watercolors based on Hebrew calligraphy. As an artist in residence during the weekend, his work was displayed and he conducted an art tutorial for adults and oversaw an art project with about 125 kids from the Religious School.

Drasin, whose daughter now attends college, hopes the temple can be home to Warren residents for many years to come.

"My hope would be that we would continue to have a strong and vibrant Jewish presence for my daughter should she decide to settle here," she said. "We have something really special and I would like to see it continue."