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1965–2026

Fifty years of history

1965
The first Jain families arrive in New York; informal gatherings begin in Manhattan homes and halls.
1976
JCA is organized and registered — the first Jain Center in America.
1981
The first temple building is purchased, in Queens.
June 2005
The Elmhurst facility is inaugurated — later named Best Religious Building of the year in Queens.
Ongoing
The Asthapad Maha Tirth — 24 Tirthankara idols in crystal and gemstone — takes shape on the fourth floor.
Mission

One roof, every tradition, equally honored

JCA exists to preserve and share Jain religious and cultural heritage for its community — and to do it in a way few Jain centers attempt, by uniting Shvetambar Murtipujak, Sthanakvasi, Digambar, and Shrimad Rajchandra practice under a single roof, with equal reverence for each.

Fifty years ago, a handful of families gathered in a Manhattan apartment. Today, five traditions worship under one roof — and every member is part of what comes next.

The Board of Trustees, Jain Center of America
Governance

Board of Trustees

The Board sets policy and holds the Center in trust for the membership.

Sanjay K. Pandya
Chairman
Mehul Shah
Vice Chairman
Sandeep K. Shah
Chief Financial Officer
Nilesh Sheth
Secretary
Ashok Sancheti
Public Relations Officer
Amita Mehta
Trustee
Ashvin Shah
Trustee
Bhupendra Mookim
Trustee
Harnish Kasliwal
Trustee
Kumar Shah
Trustee
Purnima (Tina) Phophaliya
Trustee
Shilpa Pandya
Trustee
Sunil Doshi
Trustee
Governance

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee runs day-to-day operations between General Body Meetings.

Rasik Sanghvi
President
Rajkumar Dhadda
Vice President
Payal Shah
Administrator
Vineet Pandya
Co-Administrator
Gautam Shah
Treasurer
Aditi Shrimal
Member
Hema Zota
Member
Madhu Daga
Member
Manish Jain
Member
Mukesh Shah
Member
Namrata Kasliwal
Member
Sanjeev Samdaria
Member
Saroj Jain
Member
Umesh Shah
Member
Recognition

Honoring those who sustain JCA

Service Award recipients

2025 Seva AwardIllustrative name — not a published record
2024 Seva AwardIllustrative name — not a published record

Lifetime Supporters

Illustrative nameSince 2001
Illustrative nameSince 2009
Documents

Policies & financial statements

JCA reports to its membership at the annual General Body Meeting each December, and publishes its governing documents for any member to review.

Facility Use Policy v3
Rules for booking the Dining Hall, Multipurpose Hall, and shrines for private events.
Code of Conduct
Expected conduct for members, volunteers, and staff on JCA premises.
Election Procedures
How Board and Executive Committee elections are run.
Financial Statements
Annual statements reviewed at the General Body Meeting.
Annual Meetings
Minutes and schedules for past and upcoming General Body Meetings.
Contact

Visit, call, or write

— no appointment needed to stop by.

Address43-11 Ithaca Street, Elmhurst, NY 11373
Phone(718) 478-9141
Emailnyjaincenter@gmail.com
HoursMonday – Sunday, 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Getting here

43-11 Ithaca Street sits in Elmhurst, Queens. Street parking is available nearby, with an overflow lot open on festival days.

Send a message

Ask JCA
Grounded answers · doctrine deferral · human hand-off
Who is the Chairman of the Board?
Grounded · citedSanjay K. Pandya is Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Source: About page.