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SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, JULY 26, 2002: Mayor Albert P. Jurczynski’s (pronounced jur-ZIN-ski) involvement with the Hindu community began after he received a telephone call last year from Deryck Singh, a Guyanese immigrant who settled here 15 years earlier and was looking for a place to build a Hindu temple. There were only 200 Guyanese immigrants living here, but the mayor helped them find a vacant Catholic church to house the temple, and in the process he learned a few things about the Guyanese, he said. Mr. Jurczynski recalled Mr. Singh, who moved here from the Bronx after stumbling on Schenectady one afternoon during a drive up the New York State Thruway, saying Guyanese people “don’t believe in public assistance.” “When I heard that, I had a big smile on my face,” the mayor said. “And I said, ‘You’re singing my tune.’ ” After that, the mayor began to meet and greet more Guyanese immigrants, including two savvy real estate brokers from Queens, one of whom hosts a radio show in New York City. Last May, the mayor called in to “Herman Singh Show Time” and told the largely Guyanese audience that they should move to Schenectady and call him directly on his cell phone. It was a bold move, but it was subtle compared to what came next. What has followed over the ensuing months has been an amazing success story for Guyanese Hindu immigrants and the city of Schenectady. The town is 150 north of New York City, and a short distance outside Albany, the state’s capital.

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