UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 18, 2002

                   INTERCHANGE FINANCIAL SERVICES CORPORATION
________________________________________________________________________________
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)




      New Jersey                    001-10518                     22-2553159
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(State or other Jurisdiction   (Commission File Number)       (I.R.S. Employer
         of  Incorporation)                               Identification Number)




                             Park 80 West Plaza Two
                             Saddle Brook, NJ 07662
________________________________________________________________________________

                    (Address of principal executive offices)



                                 (201) 703-2265
________________________________________________________________________________
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)



                                 Not Applicable

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          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)



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 Item 5.  Other Events.

     On November 18, 2002,  Interchange Financial Services  Corporation,  Saddle
Brook,  New Jersey  ("Interchange"),  the holding company for Interchange  Bank,
entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Bridge View Bancorp, Englewood
Cliffs, New Jersey ("Bridge View"), providing for the merger of Bridge View with
and into  Interchange.  As a result of the  merger,  Interchange  will  exchange
2,949,719  shares of its common stock and cash in the amount of $33,528,472  for
100% of the outstanding shares of Bridge View.

     Consummation  of the  merger is  subject  to the  satisfaction  of  various
conditions,  including,  but not  limited to,  approval  of the  issuance of the
shares  of  Interchange  common  stock  in the  merger  by the  shareholders  of
Interchange,  the approval of the merger and the Agreement and Plan of Merger by
the  shareholders of Bridge View, and the receipt of all requisite  governmental
and regulatory approvals.

     Additional information regarding the merger is set forth in the joint Press
Release of  Interchange  and Bridge View and the  Agreement  and Plan of Merger,
copies of which are filed with this Report and incorporated herein by reference.

Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

     (c) Exhibits.

         The following  exhibits are  furnished in accordance  with Item 601 of
         Regulation S-K:

         Exhibit No.            Description
         ------------            -----------

         Exhibit  2.1      Agreement  and  Plan of  Merger,  dated  November 18,
                           2002, by and between Interchange Financial Services
                           Corporation and Bridge View Bancorp.

         Exhibit 99.1      Press Release, dated November 18, 2002.



                                                     SIGNATURES


          Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
     the  registrant  has duly  caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
     the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                      Interchange Financial Services Corporation
                                      (Registrant)


Date: November 26, 2002               By: /s/ Anthony J. Labozzetta
                                      __________________________________________
                                      Name:    Anthony J. Labozzetta
                                      Title:   Executive Vice President and CFO