Interfaith group of friends create free app to keep places of worship open
The Prayin.io app, developed by Shneor Crombie, Patrick Dobinson, Hussein Duvigneau and Ritesh Vatwani, can be used to record test and trace data
Four friends based in London – one Jewish, the others Christian, Hindu and Muslim – have developed a free booking app for places of worship as they reopen with social distancing rules.
The Prayin.io app, developed by Shneor Crombie, Patrick Dobinson, Hussein Duvigneau and Ritesh Vatwani, can be used to record test and trace data and set a maximum number of worshippers per service.
“We are four friends that have been working together for a few years in a London based startup”, explained Crombie, 36, from north London, who is a member of Ner Yisroel Hendon.
“All of us are from different backgrounds and religions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to do something to help people. We realised that in these uncertain and difficult times it is important to reunite communities,” he said.
The app, which is available on the web and will soon launch on Android and iOS, can be used to notify users when a congregant has tested positive for the virus after attending a service.
United Synagogue congregations have access to a booking system provided by the movement centrally.
But the tool, which has been recommended by the chief rabbi’s office to communities under his auspices, is being used by congregations around the world, including London’s Western Marble Arch Synagogue.
Rachel Shebabo, director of the Chief Rabbi’s Centre for Community Excellence, hailed the app as an “excellent example” of a solution to the challenges presented by the pandemic.
“The Office of the Chief Rabbi has been helping communities across the country to find solutions to the many challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.
“Prayin.io is an excellent example of such a solution and the fact that it was developed as a non-profit venture by four great friends of different faith backgrounds, is all the more reason to offer it our full support!”
The app is free, Crombie said, stressing the team is not motivated by profit. “We hope that the Prayin.io app will help the congregation get back together safely and that soon our product won’t be needed anymore.”
Religious buildings across England were allowed to reopen from 4 July, to hold services and weddings with a maximum of 30 guests, subject to social distancing.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
