CERTIFICATION
                                  -------------

I, John N. Hopkins, certify that:

     1.   I have reviewed this Form 10-Q of Kearny Financial Corp.;

     2.   Based on my  knowledge,  this  report  does  not  contain  any  untrue
          statement  of a  material  fact  or  omit to  state  a  material  fact
          necessary to make the statements  made, in light of the  circumstances
          under which such  statements were made, not misleading with respect to
          the period covered by this report;

     3.   Based on my knowledge,  the financial statements,  and other financial
          information  included in this report,  fairly  present in all material
          respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows
          of the registrant as of, and for, the period presented in this report.

     4.   The registrant's  other  certifying  officer and I are responsible for
          establishing  and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as
          defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

          a.   Designed such disclosure controls and procedures,  or caused such
               disclosure  controls  and  procedures  to be  designed  under our
               supervision,  to ensure that material information relating to the
               registrant,  including  its  consolidated  subsidiaries,  is made
               known to us by others within those entities,  particularly during
               the period in which this report is being prepared;

          b.   Evaluated  the  effectiveness  of  the  registrant's   disclosure
               controls  and   procedures  and  presented  in  this  report  our
               conclusions  about the  effectiveness of the disclosure  controls
               and  procedures,  as of the  end of the  period  covered  by this
               report based on such evaluation; and

          c.   Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's  internal
               control  over  financial   reporting  that  occurred  during  the
               registrant's  most  recent  fiscal  quarter  that has  materially
               affected,  or is  reasonably  likely to  materially  affect,  the
               registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.   The registrant's  other certifying  officer and I have disclosed,  based on
     our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
     the registrant's  auditors and the audit committee of registrant's board of
     directors:

     a.   All significant  deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
          operation  of internal  control  over  financial  reporting  which are
          reasonably  likely to  adversely  affect the  registrant's  ability to
          record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

     b.   Any fraud, whether or not material,  that involves management or other
          employees who have a  significant  role in the  registrant's  internal
          controls over financial reporting.

Date:    February 18, 2005                 /s/John N. Hopkins
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           John N. Hopkins
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer
                                           (Principal executive officer)


<PAGE>


                                  CERTIFICATION
                                  -------------

I, Albert E. Gossweiler, certify that:

     1.   I have reviewed this Form 10-Q of Kearny Financial Corp.;

     2.   Based on my  knowledge,  this  report  does  not  contain  any  untrue
          statement  of a  material  fact  or  omit to  state  a  material  fact
          necessary to make the statements  made, in light of the  circumstances
          under which such  statements were made, not misleading with respect to
          the period covered by this report;

     3.   Based on my knowledge,  the financial statements,  and other financial
          information  included in this report,  fairly  present in all material
          respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows
          of the registrant as of, and for, the period presented in this report.

     4.   The registrant's  other  certifying  officer and I are responsible for
          establishing  and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as
          defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

          a.   Designed such disclosure controls and procedures,  or caused such
               disclosure  controls  and  procedures  to be  designed  under our
               supervision,  to ensure that material information relating to the
               registrant,  including  its  consolidated  subsidiaries,  is made
               known to us by others within those entities,  particularly during
               the period in which this report is being prepared;

          b.   Evaluated  the  effectiveness  of  the  registrant's   disclosure
               controls  and   procedures  and  presented  in  this  report  our
               conclusions  about the  effectiveness of the disclosure  controls
               and  procedures,  as of the  end of the  period  covered  by this
               report based on such evaluation; and

          c.   Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's  internal
               control  over  financial   reporting  that  occurred  during  the
               registrant's  most  recent  fiscal  quarter  that has  materially
               affected,  or is  reasonably  likely to  materially  affect,  the
               registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.   The registrant's  other certifying  officer and I have disclosed,  based on
     our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
     the registrant's  auditors and the audit committee of registrant's board of
     directors:

     a.   All significant  deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
          operation  of internal  control  over  financial  reporting  which are
          reasonably  likely to  adversely  affect the  registrant's  ability to
          record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

     b.   Any fraud, whether or not material,  that involves management or other
          employees who have a  significant  role in the  registrant's  internal
          controls over financial reporting.

Date:    February 18, 2005     /s/Albert E. Gossweiler
                               -------------------------------------------------
                               Albert E. Gossweiler
                               Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
                               (Principal financial officer)