The outbreak of Covid-19 has altered almost every aspect of Pelham as more limitations are added to keep our community safe. Among those affected by these new restrictions are religious centers, which have been forced to adjust in order to support their members’ journeys of faith while still upholding safe practices during this time. Despite the challenges in maintaining a close-knit community of faith, our local religious centers are still finding ways to keep their members religiously active. The Archdiocese of New York, the Pelham Jewish Center, and Huguenot Memorial Church have all taken different approaches in facing this limitation while still providing a sense of religious community prevalent among these holy places. 

The Archdiocese of New York have canceled daily and weekly services beginning the weekend of March 14th and 15th and services continue to be suspended until further notice. Their decision stems not only from New York’s prohibition of large gatherings but also from a desire for consistency, as Dutchess County has similarly prohibited groups of larger than 20 people. The churches within the Archdiocese will remain open for private prayer, allowing their members to continue to practice their religion in a sacred space during this time.

The Pelham Jewish Center has taken a creative approach to reduce isolation in their community despite the additional challenges. Because electronic usage is limited on the Sabbath, the synagogue has decided to implement online classes, along with other points of connection like their new phone tree, which keeps members checking in with each other.

Rabbi Alex Salzberg of the PJC hopes that all of these measures will ensure that a strong sense of community is kept during this time. “When things are hard, we come together to support each other,” he said. “Physically, it’s the one thing we can’t do right now. My hope with this is that the new avenues of connection will sustain us through this time and continue into the future.”

For two years, Huguenot Memorial Church has been using streaming services, making their transition into this time significantly smoother. Now, with the outbreak in mind, a smaller group has been leading service, including music director Kathy Jones and Reverend Paul Seelman. Last Sunday, their live-streamed worship suggested that the church is reaching past their church membership to others as well. The Huguenot mission committee has also taken a leadership role to assist those who need help during this time.

“I anticipate that we will come into even shorter worship and recorded music in the future,” Reverend Seelman commented, acknowledging the reality of the situation. “As a minister, I’d like to feel like I can go and provide pastoral care, and that’s going to look different during these days.”

The cancellations of future events has also taken a toll on these religious communities. Bar mitzvahs have been postponed, and places of worship may not be reopened in time for celebration of their upcoming holidays. Louise Kelly, member of Huguenot Memorial Church, expressed her disappointment for the postponement of the Huguenot Cabaret, an annual performance that the community looks forward to every year. Despite this, members have continued to be involved with their place of worship—Kelly admitted that she has been singing along with soloists in the last two church streamings.

While coronavirus has changed the physical manner in which people are approaching their religious practices, the sense of community that each place of worship offers is unaltered. Religion acts as a connector when people feel particularly isolated from society, and each religious group has proved this true by maintaining connections between their members. “It’s really nice to be a part of this group that has our backs,” said Louise Kelly. Hopefully, religion will continue to serve as an integral part of members’ lives at this time.