New Thruway Mincha Area This Summer Due to Sloatsburg Construction

Travelers headed for the Catskills will have to reprogram their GPS this summer for a new Mincha location, as the New York State Thruway’s Sloatsburg rest stop one of more than two dozen service areas slated for extensive renovations in the coming months.

Under an agreement reached with the Town of Ramapo, the Mincha Area will open for the season on June 22 at 120 Torne Valley Road in Hillburn, NY, just minutes from the Thruway’s Exit 15 A. The location will is located alongside the Joseph T. St. Lawrence Community Center. Chaverim of Rockland will be on hand every Thursday night over the nine-week summer season to manage parking and ensure the area’s security and upkeep.

Askanim were notified of the Thruway construction before Pesach and worked closely with officials for weeks to find a temporary home for the Tefilas Mordche Mincha Area, which has been based out of the Sloatsburg rest stop for years. 

The New York State Thruway Authority first announced that it would be modernizing 27 of its decades-old service areas in July 2021. While the service area’s fuel pumps will be operational during construction, the parking structure that has been home to the used davening spot will be torn down as part of the first stage of the project.

“We are deeply grateful to the Thruway Authority for allowing us use of the Sloatsburg Rest Area for more than 20 years and look forward to resuming prayers at the Mincha Area once construction has been completed,” said long-time community leader and law enforcement chaplain Rabbi Abe Friedman, who has been instrumental in the Mincha Area’s operations for years.

“Travelers have been enjoying the opportunity to daven Mincha and Maariv safely as they head upstate for years, and, thanks to the efforts of the many people involved, this year will be no different,” added senior community activist Rabbi Berish Freilich.