John Street

United Methodist Church

44 John St. 212-269-0014

In 1768, the first sermon was preached on the site of the John Street United Methodist Church, the country's oldest Methodist society.

The church now draws 40 to 50 people to Sunday morning services, most from below Chambers Street, according to the Rev. Jason Radmacher. A small children's Sunday school group meets in a one-room classroom. Residents and workers also come to a midday service called Wonderful Wall Street Wednesday. "Definitely the word is getting out," Radmacher said, "after 200 years."

Masjid Manhattan
44 Warren St.

As some Downtown religious institutions struggle to build and keep a congregation, the worshippers at Masjid Manhattan, a mosque located on the second floor of a dingy building near City Hall, literally overflow onto the street. Every Friday at midday a steady stream of men, mostly immigrants who work in the area, come up the stairs, remove their shoes and enter a carpeted room that spans the length of the building. Women gather in a small separate room.
The Arabic prayers and the Imam's English sermon are broadcast into the stairwell and lobby.



Mosaic Manhattan Church
212-227-5191

Battery Park City resident Gregg Ferrah started this church after moving to New York in 2003. He describes Mosaic as an independent, bible-teaching Christian church, affiliated with the South Baptist Council.
Mosaic is multimedia-a blend of Christian rock, colored strobe lights, humorous videos and a multitude of other creative devices that change each week. "While we're very liberal in our methodology, we're very conservative in our theology," said Ferrah.
Sunday services are held in the auditorium of P.S/I.S. 89 and a children's ministry meets in the school's cafeteria.

Jewish Community Project
Contact: Nathalie Rubens at
646-522-2563
nathalie@jcpdowntown.org

The Jewish Community Project's (JCP) Friday night "Tot Shabbat" is a moveable feast. On a recent Friday evening, 50 people gathered in a Tribeca loft, with a couple dozen kids sprawled on a plastic tarp laid out on the floor munching on kosher pizza and edemame. As the sky grew dark, parents lit Sabbath candles and the children joined in noisy, exuberant stories and songs.
JCP activities also include discussion groups, like this month's "Hanukkah in a Christmas World." They are also planning a neighborhood preschool, which they hope can grow into a broader Jewish community center.

Tribeca Hebrew
67 Hudson St. 212-608-0555
www.tribecahebrew.org

Kaballah study mixed with sips of cabernet and a monthly klezmer brunch are among the offerings at the recently opened Tribeca Hebrew. The center also has weekly afterschool classes where children learn about holiday and Sabbath traditions, with a focus on music and crafts.
Started by eight neighborhood families, Tribeca Hebrew provides a place for children to learn about and celebrate both who they are and where they live, said Michael Dorf, one of the founders. "We wanted our kids to feel proud of two aspects of their identity."



Battery Park Synagogue
385 South End Avenue
212-432-7022
www.bpsynagogue.org

In 1986 a group of Conservative and Reform Jews looking for a neighborhood congregation took matters into their own hands and started the Battery Park Synagogue. Housed in a converted two-bedroom apartment in Gateway Plaza, the synagogue now has about 200 members who meet for family Sabbath services and dinners, as well as a Hebrew school. "It's a warm, welcoming informal atmosphere," said Norman Kleiman, one of the founders. For larger holiday services and for bar/bat mitzvahs, they bring their portable ark and torah to a nearby hotel ballroom.

Downtown Synagogue
212-938-1111
www.thedowntownsynagogue.org

The Downtown Synagogue calls itself a community-based "inclusive, egalitarian synagogue, affiliated with the Conservative Movement of Judaism." The resident-formed synagogue does not have a building, but offers services, events, and family gatherings at various neighborhood venues, including the Hallmark and the P.S. 234 auditorium.

St. Andrew's Catholic Church
20 Cardinal Hayes Pl.
212-962-3972

When the area around City Hall was known as Newspaper Row, St. Andrew's was called the Printers' Church. Today, weekday masses draw judges, lawyers, FBI agents and police officers from the nearby courts and One Police Plaza. On weekends, St. Andrew's serves residents of Southbridge Towers, Tribeca, and Battery Park City.
A Sunday school has grown from two to 60 neighborhood kids in 10 years.

Trinity Church and St. Paul's Chapel
212-608-0800 (Trinity)
212-233-4164 (St. Paul's)
www.saintpaulschapel.org

Organized religion in Lower Manhattan can be said to have started with a land grant from King William III of England in 1697 that created the Parish of Trinity Church. Thousands of visitors come through the two Episcopal churches, Trinity and St. Paul's, weekly to view the historic buildings and Sept. 11 exhibits at St. Paul's or for midday concerts.
Downtown's oldest religious institution is also one of the most modern-Sunday services are broadcast live on the internet. "We have a Trinity congregation, a St. Paul's congregation and a virtual congregation, said the Rev. Canon Anne Mallonee.

St. Joseph's Chapel
Gateway Plaza 500 212-466-0131
www.sjchapel.org
St. Joseph's in Battery Park City is a part of St. Peter's Chapel (located on Barclay Street), the state's oldest Catholic parish. After the World Trade Center was destroyed, the dust-filled chapel was an aid station for recovery workers. The church underwent a full renovation and reopened in September 2002. Because the church is located in the heart of Battery Park City, said parishioner Ken Burns, "you know everybody. It gives you a sense of community."

Living Word Community Church
179 Franklin St. 212-966-6070
www.livingwordnyc.org
Living Word Community Church is an independent, non-denominational Christian church located in Tribeca since 1989.
Tommy Nichols ("Pastor Tommy") preaches on Sunday mornings at the Knitting Factory backed by a small gospel choir. The church also offers counseling, a youth ministry and a weekday prayer group. "Living Word has always been about not just 'hearing' the Word of God, but 'doing' it," said Pastor Tommy.

Masjid al-Farah and Sufi Bookstore
245 & 227 West Broadway
212-334-5212
www.nurashkijerrahi.org

Sufism is a mystical branch of Islam. The Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order, headed by an American woman, Sheikha Fariha, meets at a mosque on West Broadway. Followers, called dervishes, come together Thursday nights for several hours of chanting, prayer, songs, discussion meditation and dinner. The nearby Sufi bookstore also offers lectures.

Jewel Heart Tibetan Buddhist Center
260 West Broadway 212-966-2807
www.jewelheart.org

Tibetan Buddhists go to the Jewel Heart Center in the American Thread Company building. Founded eight years ago by followers of Tibetan lama Gehlek Rimpoche, the center has year-round meditation and other classes and regular Thursday night mediations when Rimpoche is in New York. The center draws students from around the metropolitan area and a growing number of neighborhood residents, said coordinator Joan Hurley. "It's easy to come for an hour's meditation because it's nearby," he said.

Tribeca Spiritual Center
www.tribecaspiritualcenter.org

Founded four years ago, the Tribeca Spiritual Center is a non-denominational group that explores many aspects of spiritual life, including Jewish, Sufi, Christian and Native American traditions. For a recent gathering, held at the Hallmark, visual and performing artists were invited to share their art, inspiration and creative process. "No matter what your background, this is a place you can gather and learn from one another," said the Rev. William Grant, who founded the group.



Wall Street Synagogue
47 Beekman St. 212-227-7800

This Orthodox synagogue opened 75 years ago on Maiden Lane, mostly to serve people who work in the Financial District. The current narrow building on Beekman Street was opened in 1960. It offers services seven days a week, as well as lunchtime Talmud classes. The only time in its history that the synagogue doors closed was the week after September 11, according to Rabbi Meyer Hager. Seven days later it reopened for Rosh Hashana, drawing electricity from an emergency generator at the firehouse next door.