Faith Institutions Pandemic Protocols

Keeping the faith amid a pandemic

Bellmore welcomes a broad spectrum of religious denominations and diverse religious backgrounds, and the area’s faith institutions play an integral role in creating a sense of community. From charitable acts like food and coat drives to extracurricular religious education for Bellmore’s youth, these places of worship bring residents together. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, local churches and synagogues were forced to adapt to provide essential services to the community. St. John Lutheran Church in Bellmore prides itself on its tight-knit congregation. Several parishioners contracted Covid-19, including one congregant who works as an emergency room nurse, but all fortunately won their battles with the virus.

The church suspended all in-person services in March of 2020 and shifted most services to online live streams. Congregants now get the chance to participate in online prayer via Zoom and Facebook three times a week. Pastor Nancy Rakoczy also leads a weekly adult Bible study every Friday via Zoom. Additionally, she sends out daily emails to keep spirits up.

The church has reopened for in-person services as well. Congregants gather weekly for Sunday worship and partake in holy communion.

Congregation Beth Ohr in Bellmore has also faced similar obstacles. All services, including weekly prayer and Hebrew school classes, were moved to Zoom and YouTube live streams. Other activities, such as Torah study and book club, also shifted to an online format.

But difficulties emerged in providing prayer services on Shabbat, Judaism’s day of rest, in which the use of any technology is forbidden, as it is a form of work. Congregation Beth Ohr offers livestream Shabbat services on Friday nights to allow congregants to observe the Sabbath while adhering to the laws and customs of the holy day.

Congregation Beth Ohr has continued to livestream Shabbat services weekly while also opening their doors to in-person prayer. Congregants are welcome to Friday night and Saturday morning services, which have designated seating for vaccinated and non-vaccinated guests.

The Jaam’e Masjid Mosque in Bellmore, which serves a vibrant Muslim community and offers various services, programs and daily Salahs, has also made adjustments amid the new normal. It has continued to hold daily in-person prayer under new safety measures, including reduced capacity, social distancing, mandatory mask and glove wearing and placing paper sheets on the carpeted prayer areas. A security guard is also present at all times to enforce these guidelines.

The mosque also held a special prayer service on Eid al Adha, in which congregants split up into several smaller groups and followed safety measures. Other services, such as daily Quran readings and Sunday school, are back to being in-person.

In addition to continued services, the Masjid is planning to expand with a second floor that will house a salah space for women, a library and an office.

Congregants have been understanding and cooperative, and the mosque remains committed to providing its services in the safest possible way.

Courtesy Chabad Center For Jewish Life Left Photo: The Chabad Center for Jewish Life provided Seder to-go kits for Passover during the coronavirus pandemic.