EXHIBIT 24

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Gerald H. Lipkin and Alan D. Eskow and each of them, his or her attorney-in fact, each with power of substitution, for him or her in any and all capacities, to sign the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Valley National Bancorp for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003 and any and all amendments, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.

Signature		Date
/s/     GERALD H. LIPKIN	Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer and Director	February 26, 2004
Gerald H. Lipkin
/s/     ALAN D. ESKOW	Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)	February 26, 2004
Alan D. Eskow
/s/    EDWARD J. LIPKUS	First Vice President and Controller (Principal Accounting Officer)	February 26, 2004
Edward J. Lipkus
ANDREW B. ABRAMSON	Director	February 26, 2004
Andrew B. Abramson
CHARLES J. BAUM	Director	February 26, 2004
Charles J. Baum
PAMELA BRONANDER	Director	February 26, 2004
Pamela Bronander
JOSEPH COCCIA, JR.	Director	February 26, 2004
Joseph Coccia, Jr.
Eric P. Edelstein	Director	February 26, 2004
Eric P. Edelstein
Mary J. Steele Guilfoile	Director	February 26, 2004
Mary J. Steele Guilfoile
H. Dale Hemmerdinger	Director	February 26, 2004
H. Dale Hemmerdinger
GRAHAM O. JONES	Director	February 26, 2004
Graham O. Jones
WALTER H. JONES, III	Director	February 26, 2004
Walter H. Jones, III

GERALD KORDE	Director	February 26, 2004
Gerald Korde
ROBINSON MARKEL	Director	February 26, 2004
Robinson Markel
ROBERT E. MCENTEE	Director	February 26, 2004
Robert E. McEntee
RICHARD S. MILLER	Director	February 26, 2004
Richard S. Miller
ROBERT RACHESKY	Director	February 26, 2004
Robert Rachesky
BARNETT RUKIN	Director	February 26, 2004
Barnett Rukin
PETER SOUTHWAY	Director	February 26, 2004
Peter Southway
RICHARD F. TICE	Director	February 26, 2004
Richard F. Tice
LEONARD J. VORCHEIMER	Director	February 26, 2004
Leonard J. Vorcheimer