In the Feb. 19 issues of the Sentinel and Suburban newspapers, under the title "Chabad House Has New Site for Programs, Shop," the first paragraph reads: "The first Orthodox synagogue in township history has opened in a former office building at the corner of Prospect Plains and Applegarth roads."

This statement is simply untrue and very disheartening to many longtime residents of Monroe. I have been living in Monroe for more than two decades, and am very involved and active in the Jewish community.

The first (and only) traditional Orthodox synagogue in Monroe is the Chabad Jewish Center, located at 261 Gravel Hill Road, corner of Union Valley Road. It has been operating continuously since 2002 with a full roster of religious and social programs reaching thousands of Monroe residents and beyond.

Chabad Jewish Center is the legitimate Chabad branch established by the New Jersey headquarters of Chabad at the Rabbinical College of America-Morristown (as you may see at the official Chabadwebsite, www.chabad.org, or the rabbinical college website, www.rca.edu).

The successful programs of Chabad Jewish Center have been well-publicized in your paper as well.

It is a terrible shame and an insult to the hundreds who attend regular services at Chabad Jewish Center to read this erroneous and offensive statement.

We may be seniors but we're not senile.
Fred Wohl
Monroe