Filed by Interchange Financial Services Corporation
                           Pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933
                                        and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12
                                          of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                                            Subject Company: Bridge View Bancorp
                                                   Commission File No. 001-12165

The  following  is a press  release  issued by  Interchange  Financial  Services
Corporation on November 18, 2002

             INTERCHANGE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND BRIDGE VIEW BANCORP
                            ANNOUNCE PLANS TO MERGE

SADDLE BROOK, NJ, November 18, 2002

Interchange Financial Services Corporation (NASDAQ:IFCJ) and Bridge View Bancorp
(AMEX:  BVB)  jointly  announced  today that they have entered into a definitive
agreement in which Interchange  Financial Services  Corporation  ("Interchange")
will acquire  Bridge View Bancorp  ("Bridge  View") in a  transaction  valued at
$87.3  million  based on  Interchange's  closing  stock price as of November 15,
2002.  Bridge View is a bank  holding  company with $272 million in assets as of
September 30, 2002 and is headquartered  in Englewood  Cliffs,  New Jersey.  Its
principal  subsidiary,  Bridge View Bank,  operates 11 offices in Bergen County,
New Jersey.  Interchange expects that the transaction will expand and strengthen
Interchange's  market share within  northern New Jersey,  principally  in Bergen
County.

Interchange is a $921 million asset bank holding  company for  Interchange  Bank
which  operates  18 offices  throughout  Bergen  County,  New  Jersey.  Upon the
completion  of the Bridge  View  acquisition,  Interchange  expects to have $1.3
billion in assets and 29 offices in Bergen County.

"The acquisition of Bridge View will  significantly  strengthen our market share
in the  affluent  Bergen  County  marketplace  and  northern  New  Jersey.  When
completed,  the  acquisition  will  greatly  enhance  our deposit  market  share
position  within Bergen  County from 12th to 6th  position,"  stated  Anthony S.
Abbate, President and Chief Executive Officer of Interchange.  "This acquisition
brings together two high performing  banks whose success has been closely linked
to the strength and vitality of the communities they serve. Together, we believe
that we can build even stronger community partnerships that make our communities
better places to live and work"

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"We are pleased and excited to be joining  Interchange" said Albert F. Buzzetti,
President and Chief  Executive  Officer of Bridge View  Bancorp."Interchange's
commitment  to offering a wide  variety of  outstanding  community-based  branch
banking  services  will enable us to expand the scope of services we are able to
provide individuals and businesses. We have long believed that community banking
is  all  about  making  banking  decisions  locally.   Interchange  shares  that
philosophy and delivers the same warm brand of personalized  service that only a
community bank can provide today."

It is  anticipated  that Mr.  Buzzetti  will become an  executive  officer  upon
completion of the  transaction.  "We look forward to welcoming Al and benefiting
from the community commitment which he will bring to our organization" said Mr.
Abbate.

Under the terms of the  agreement,  the total  consideration  to be  received by
Bridge View  shareholders is fixed at $33,528,472  million in cash and 2,949,719
Interchange  shares.  Based on the price of $18.24 for Interchange  common stock
prior to today's announcement, the transaction represents total consideration of
approximately $87.3 million.  The total value at closing may rise or fall based
on the average  per share price of  Interchange  stock for a  twenty-day  period
prior to closing.  Each  shareholder may choose cash,  stock or a combination of
cash and stock subject to proration if either cash or stock is oversubscribed.

Interchange  expects to realize cost savings of approximately  $1.8 million,  or
20% of Bridge View's  non-interest  expenses,  with 60% of that realized in 2003
and all of the  savings  realized  in 2004.  The  transaction  is expected to be
accretive to  Interchange's  earnings.  The transaction has been approved by the
Board of  Directors of both  companies  and is expected to be completed by April
30,  2003.  The  transaction  is  conditioned  upon  receiving   necessary  bank
regulatory approvals, the approval of shareholders from both companies and other
customary conditions.

Interchange will hold a conference call  (800-915-4836) and web-cast on Tuesday,
November 19, 2002, at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss the transaction.  This
web-cast can be accessed through the Bank's website,  www.interchangebank.com on
the    investor    relations    page,    as   well    as   the    web    address
www.companyboardroom.com.  The web-cast replay and tape play back  (800-428-6051
PIN Code:  269236) will begin shortly after the  completion of the live call and
will be available for approximately two weeks.

Interchange is a bank holding company and its banking  subsidiary is a financial
intermediary  that,  along with  traditional  banking,  offers a broad  range of
services including 24-hour, 7-day-a-week online banking and bill paying services
through InterBank.  Customers can also do their stock trading,  obtain insurance
services and apply for a loan through  Interchange Bank's web site. Mutual Funds
and Annuities are offered through Interchange's Investment Services Program. The
Interchange  Bank

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- -Line Call Center enables customers to open new accounts over the telephone, and
customers can do basic banking  transactions over the telephone with Interchange
Bank-Line.  The Business Class Banking Account offers checking with a variety of
extra services including  Interbanking - a proprietary product, which allows the
business customer to do routine business banking right from their office PC. And
through our subsidiary,  Interchange  Capital  Company,  L.L.C.,  we are able to
extend cost-effective equipment leasing solutions for a variety of expansion and
upgrading projects.

Interchange  is  headquartered  in Saddle  Brook,  New  Jersey and has 18 branch
offices  located  in  Elmwood  Park,   Franklin  Lakes,   Garfield,   Hillsdale,
Hackensack,  Little Ferry, Lodi, Montvale, Oakland, Paramus, Park Ridge, Ramsey,
River Edge, Rochelle Park, Saddle Brook (2), Waldwick and Washington Township.

Further information about Interchange Bank, its core purpose and values, and its
products and  services can be found on our web site at  www.interchangebank.com.
Our web site also has a direct link to the NASDAQ  Stock Market that enables you
to keep  informed  of the daily  quotes and market  activity  for  Interchange's
stock.

Bridge  View is a  commercial  bank and through its  subsidiary  bank,  conducts
traditional  commercial  banking business,  accepting  deposits from the general
public,   including  individuals,   businesses,   non-profit  organizations  and
governmental units. Bridge View originates  commercial loans, consumer loans and
both residential and commercial real estate loans.  Bridge View is headquartered
in Englewood Cliffs and has eleven branch offices:  Englewood  Cliffs,  Fort Lee
(2), Edgewater, Hackensack, Tenafly, Harrington Park, and four new branches that
were opened in 2002; Teaneck, Westwood, Bergenfield, and Ridgefield Park.

This  document  contains  forward-looking  statements  within the meaning of the
Private Securities  Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include,  but
are not  limited to, (i)  statements  about the  benefits of the merger  between
Interchange  Financial Services  Corporation and Bridge View Bancorp,  including
future financial and operating results,  cost savings,  enhanced  revenues,  and
accretion  to  reported  earnings  that may be realized  from the  merger;  (ii)
statements with respect to  Interchange's  and Bridge View's plans,  objectives,
expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical  facts;
and (iii)  other  statements  identified  by words such as  "believes""expects,"
"anticipates,"  "estimates"   "intends""plans""targets"  "project"  and  similar
expressions.   These   statements  are  based  upon  the  current   beliefs  and
expectations  of  Interchang's  and Bridge View's  management and are subject to
significant  risks and  uncertainties.  Actual results may differ from those set
forth in the forward-looking statements.

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The  following  factors,  among  others,  could cause  actual  results to differ
materially from the anticipated  results or other expectations  expressed in the
forward-looking  statements: (1) the risk that the businesses of Interchange and
Bridge View will not be integrated  successfully or such integration may be more
difficult,   time-consuming  or  costly  than  expected;  (2)  expected  revenue
synergies and cost savings from the merger may not be fully realized or realized
within the expected time frame;  (3) revenues  following the merger may be lower
than  expected;  (4)  deposit  attrition,  operating  costs,  customer  loss and
business  disruption  following  the  merger,  including,   without  limitation,
difficulties in maintaining  relationships  with employees,  may be greater than
expected;  (5) the ability to obtain governmental approvals of the merger on the
proposed terms and schedule;  (6) the failure of Interchange's and Bridge View's
stockholders  to  approve  the  transaction;  (7)  competitive  pressures  among
depository and other financial  institutions may increase significantly and have
an effect on pricing, spending,  third-party relationships and revenues; (8) the
strength of the United  States  economy in general and the strength of the local
economies in which the combined company will conduct operations may be different
than  expected  resulting  in, among other  things,  a  deterioration  in credit
quality or a reduced  demand for credit,  including the resultant  effect on the
combined  company's loan portfolio and allowance for loan losses; (9) changes in
the U.S. and foreign legal and regulatory framework; and (10) adverse conditions
in the stock market, the public debt market and other capital markets (including
changes in interest rate  conditions)  and the impact of such  conditions on the
combined company's capital markets and asset management  activities.  Additional
factors  that could  cause  Interchange's  and Bridge  View's  results to differ
materially from those described in the  forward-looking  statements can be found
in Interchange's and Bridge View's reports (such as Annual Reports on Form 10-K,
Quarterly  Reports on Form 10-Q and Current  Reports on Form 8-K) filed with the
Securities  and Exchange  Commission  and  available at the SEC's  Internet site
(http://www.sec.gov). All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements
concerning the proposed transaction or other matters attributable to Interchange
or Bridge View or any person acting on their behalf are  expressly  qualified in
their entirety by the cautionary  statements above.  Interchange and Bridge View
do not  undertake  any  obligation  to update any  forward-looking  statement to
reflect  circumstances  or events that occur after the date the  forward-looking
statements are made.

The proposed  transaction will be submitted to  Interchange's  and Bridge View's
stockholders for their consideration,  and Interchange and Bridge View will file
a registration statement, a joint proxy  statement/prospectus and other relevant
documents  concerning the proposed  transaction  with the SEC.  Stockholders are
urged   to   read   the    registration    statement   and   the   joint   proxy
statement/prospectus   regarding  the  proposed   transaction  when  it  becomes
available and any other  relevant  documents  filed with the SEC, as well as any
amendments  or  supplements  to  those  documents,  because  they  will  contain
important information. You will be able to obtain a free copy of the joint proxy

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statement/prospectus,  as well as other  filings  containing  information  about
Interchange  and Bridge View, at the SEC's  Internet site  (http://www.sec.gov).
Copies of the joint proxy  statement/prospectus and the SEC filings that will be
incorporated  by reference in the joint proxy  statement/prospectus  can also be
obtained,  without  charge,  by  directing  a request to  Interchange  Financial
Services Corporation, Corporate Secretary, Park 80 West, Plaza II, Saddle Brook,
New Jersey 07663 (201-703-2265), or to Bridge View Bancorp, Corporate Secretary,
457 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632 (201-871-7800).

Interchange  and Bridge  View,  and their  respective  directors  and  executive
officers,  may be deemed to be participants in the  solicitation of proxies from
the  stockholders  of Interchange and Bridge View in connection with the merger.
Information about the directors and executive  officers of Interchange and their
ownership of Interchange common stock is set forth in the proxy statement, dated
March 28, 2002, for Interchange's 2002 annual meeting of stockholders,  as filed
with the SEC on a Schedule  14A.  Information  about the directors and executive
officers of Bridge View and their  ownership  of Bridge View common stock is set
forth in the proxy  statement,  dated  April 18,  2002,  for Bridge  View's 2002
annual  meeting  of  stockholders,  as  filed  with the SEC on a  Schedule  14A.
Additional  information  regarding  the interests of those  participants  may be
obtained by reading the joint proxy statement/prospectus  regarding the proposed
transaction when it becomes available.

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