By Joe Filippazzo
When Josh Levy left the Soviet Union, he moved his devout Bukharian Jewish family to a burgeoning residential enclave known as Jamaica Estates. They left communist Russia with a simple goal — to raise a family and worship freely, and they found the opportunity in Queens.
And so did 30,000 other people from over 150 different countries, making Jamaica Estates one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the world. But a rising population of God-fearing immigrants in Queens has created a greater demand for religious real estate, much to the chagrin of their communities.
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“All we need is something for our children so they can keep our traditions,” Levy said. “We’re not trying to take over. It would be good for all the neighbors since we’re trying to upgrade the community.”
Levy, the executive director of the Bokharian [sic] Community Facility, asked the community board to approve an extension on their synagogue in March since the congregation is quickly outgrowing its building.
The board turned it down, however, citing fears of traffic congestion and its “saturation of religious institutions” according to Marie Adam-Ovide, the community district manager for Jamaica Estates. But the reluctance of residents to allow larger places of worship for any denomination may be creating a sort of church sprawl across this section of Queens.
“There’s a lot of Jewish people living in the neighborhood and not enough shuls,” Levy said. “That’s why we want to make one big place for the Bukharian, so we don’t have to build again and again. We’re trying to think five years ahead. Why build so small and then have to get another property?”
Within a 2.5-mile radius — not even the entire community district — there are at least 51 places of worship. So a conservative estimate finds one religious institution every four blocks. And with recent immigrants comprising seven percent of the population, it still may not be enough.
“You have new Jewish temples, mosques, Korean churches and Buddhist temples opening up all over, especially in Flushing and the outlying area more than other places,” said City Councilman David Weprin. “Some are bigger, more modern places, but most are these small, local, orthodox institutions.”
While Weprin didn’t have an answer to sprawling temples and churches, he pointed out that there are many institutions that do not have a shortage of space, like the all-inclusive Unitarian Church and the 250-seat Fresh Anointing International Church.
Joyce Valentine, a secretary for the Fresh Anointing International Church in Jamaica Estates, believes her church has found a model that works. The institution in Queens is just one of over 100 ministries worldwide. The five-year-old Fresh Anointing, a former Jewish synagogue, is a large cement building with concrete slabs of the Ten Commandments in Hebrew above the entrance, perhaps a testament to their congregation’s diverse origins.
“You find people separated with such small, disjointed churches,” she said. “Here we bring people from all over together under one roof.” Valentine described her church as an open place of Christian worship with members from over 35 countries, though the sermons lean toward Methodism. Parking is sometimes an issue, but there is no shortage of seats for their practitioners.
So for now, the religious community and local government may be at an impasse. Weprin was quick to say that small orthodox houses of worship aren’t a problem, but they will naturally run out of space given the cultural tendency to stay in small groups. Neither wants a confrontation but until the influx of religious immigrants abates, property for worship will become more and more scarce.
And for the more orthodox religious, like Levy and the Bukharain, who wish to stay in their niche, they will do what they must to provide for their congregation. “No matter what, we’re going to build it, just not as big as we’d like,” Levy said of their synagogue.
“We respect the community’s decision, we’re good people and we pay taxes,” he said. “Over here, finally we have freedom of religion and we want to practice it. It’s a shame that we come here to this country and they’re against us.”
From his lips to God’s ears.
