Travelers heading to the Catskills on Thursday evenings this summer once again have a convenient place to stop for Mincha, as the Tefilas Mordechai Mincha Area officially opens for the season.
Beginning tonight and continuing every Thursday throughout the summer, the Mincha Area will operate from 6:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. at the Spring Valley Marketplace, located just one minute off Exit 14 of the New York State Thruway.
Unlike last year’s small indoor location, this year’s Mincha Area has been relocated to a spacious outdoor tent, offering quick and convenient access for motorists traveling north. Clear on-site signage directs visitors to the Mincha Area, allowing travelers to make a brief stop before continuing their trip to the Catskills.
The Mincha Area was established more than 30 years ago after many motorists were stopping along the Thruway near the former Harriman toll booths to daven. The initiative created a safer and more organized location for the thousands of people traveling to the Catskills each Thursday during the summer months.
In 2010, the Mincha Area was renamed Tefilas Mordechai in memory of Rabbi Mordechai Friedman, z”l, who dedicated countless Thursday evenings to supervising the operation. Today, his son, longtime community leader Rabbi Abe Friedman, continues that legacy by overseeing the Mincha Area and ensuring it remains available for the tens of thousands of travelers who utilize it each summer.
Located in the heart of Spring Valley, the Mincha Area has become a familiar stop for generations of Catskills-bound travelers and continues to provide a safe, convenient place to daven just moments off the Thruway.
