Jackson Heights caters for all the different religious groups that woship there. Here are a few places of worship:
Judaism
Judaism dates back to the near eastern region of Palestine and is one of the main monotheistic religions in existence. The sacred book is the Torah, and it consists of five books, the Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Photo Credit: ANUnews
Kehillat Tikvah is a:
“A Jewish Community of Hope, a congregation of individuals and families who seek to learn, explore, and sustain the teachings and practices of egalitarian Judaism from a shared local neighborhood in Jackson Heights, Queens.”
– From the Kehillat Tikvah website
Please visit: http://jhtikvah.wordpress.com/ to see their upcoming events.
Catholicism
Because so many Latin Americans live in Jackson Heights, Catholicism makes up about half of the religious population in the area.
Photo Credit: Jackson Heights Properties Real Estate
Saint Joan of Arc is a Roman Catholic Church located in Jackson Heights on 35th Avenue between 82nd and 83rd streets. When the neighborhood began to become more rural, a noticeable number of Catholics began to move in, and they wanted their own church so practice their faith. Bishop Charles E. McDonnell who appointed Reverend Ward Meehan to be the pastor established it in 1920.
To find out more click here visit: http://sjany.org/history.html
Islam
Another religion that is prominent in Jackson Heights is Islam. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness that should not be associated with acts of violence against the innocent. Islam is now the second largest religion with about 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide. Followers of this religion are the majority of the South Asian residents of Jackson Heights such as Indians, Pakistanis, and Bengalis. Their place of worship is called a mosque.
Muhammadi Community Center is located at 37-46 72nd Street, Jackson Heights.
Imam Qazi Qayyoom who is an immigrant from Bangladesh originally founded it in 1995. He delivers the message of interfaith peace and anti-terrorism. After 9/11 Muslims have have become targets for a lot of hate, so it is difficult for many immigrants to go a day without being ridiculed or judged. Hence, he tries to make people understand that violence is never the answer to any of your problems, but peace and knowledge is.
Imam Qazi Qayyoom Photo Credit: Timeledger
Currently the group has started a campaign to make April 26th, the birthday of Prophet Mohammad, a national holiday. To read more about this please visit: http://www.timesledger.com/stories/2012/9/mohammadbirthday_jh_2012_03_01_q.html
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Welcome-To-Muhammadi-Community-Center-of-Jackson-Heights/243708205665600
Hinduism and Sikhism
Hinduism is one of the most practiced religions in India, and when immigrants come to America they bring their traditions along with them. It is considered polytheistic to some, but many Hindus say there is one God who comes in many forms.
Sikhism is similar to many religions because it does have a holy text, and is monotheistic. They, like many Christians, forbid the worship of icons. A temple located in Jackson Heights is the Satya Narayan Mandir, and it is one of the oldest Hindu-Sikh temples in the United States. The temple is unique because it combines Hindu and Sikh traditions in one place of worship. It is located at 75-15 Woodside Avenue, Jackson Heights.
Photo Credits: Blog at Baruch College
For more info please visit: http://satyanarayanmandirnewyork.org/
