Muslim Worshippers Pray at New Jacobi Hospital Mosque in NYC
NYC Health + Hospitals
Muslim patients and staff at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx now have a dedicated mosque at Jacobi.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi has opened a dedicated mosque on its Bronx campus, providing Muslim patients, families and hospital employees with a larger space for worship. The newly renovated prayer area accommodates up to 75 people and includes Qur'an copies, shoe storage and facilities for ritual washing before prayer. The opening follows decades of requests for a permanent Muslim worship space, dating back to 1999. Located on the hospital's third floor, the mosque joins existing Catholic, Jewish and non-denominational prayer facilities. Hospital leaders described the addition as part of their commitment to respecting the religious needs of the communities they serve.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx Celebrates the Unveiling of a Mosque at the Jacobi Campus
The mosque is joining the Jewish temple, Catholic, and non-denominational prayer areas at Jacobi
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx unveiled a mosque with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the addition to the Jacobi campus. The mosque is joining the Jewish temple, Catholic, and non-denominational prayer areas on the Jacobi campus, and is now open to patients, their families, and staff as a place of worship, unity, learning, and service for generations to come.
“I have worked at the Jacobi campus for over 30 years, and when I first started, there was no space like this available,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx Senior Director of IT Md Alam. “The space began as a shared space, then grew to a temporary space on the second floor, which needed to expand again about ten years later to the third floor because the Muslim population was growing both in the surrounding communities the hospital serves, and in the resident population of doctors who work across Jacobi and North Central Bronx campuses.”
“This is a very important day,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx Chaplain Mohammed V. Noman (Imam). “We started this request in 1999 when members of our congregation wrote a letter to the health system’s leadership requesting a designated prayer space for Muslims. At the time, people would use their lunch breaks go outside to pray for their weekly Friday prayer. We used to have one room with three prayer rugs, now we have expanded the space where brothers and sisters can join for Friday prayer, which is meant to be done together, as a congregation.”
The ribbon-cutting ceremony began with a prayer by Chaplain Mohammed V. Noman (Imam), followed by remarks from Senior Director of IT Network Infrastructure Md Alam, Chief Experience Officer Donna Geiss, and Chief Executive Officer Christopher Mastromano. The speakers each talked about how Jacobi cares for all New Yorkers, regardless of their race, religion, immigration status, or ability to pay, which makes this addition to the Jacobi campus a momentous one for the Muslim community across patients and staff.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx CEO Christopher Mastromano said, “The inspiration for creating this space was about staff, and better support for staff leads to better support for patients, which then supports the community. It is an opportunity to demonstrate respect. While we provide care to all those in the community, regardless of ability to pay, we also must provide respect to one another. Let this day be a continuation of that respect, and we hope and pray that this space will strengthen faith while bringing stronger blessings.”
The renovated mosque at Jacobi can now hold up to 75 people and is located in Building #1, on the third floor, in room 3E-26. When entering the designated prayer area, shoe racks are available to place shoes before stepping on the carpet, books are shelved holding physical copies of the Qur’an, and a custom-made Wudu, also known as an ablution area, is available for the ritual purification of washing the face, hands, arms, and feet before praying. The Catholic, Jewish, and non-denominational chapels can also be found in Building #1 on the second floor.
Source: NYC Health + Hospitals
