Welcome to GCLEA!
GCLEA has been serving the Southern New Jersey/Philadelphia region since 2010.
Through an array of educational programs, worship services, and social outreach initiatives, we help people of all ages and ethnicities connect to their faith and community in a meaningful way.
Our professional and passionate full-time and volunteer staff are here to help you connect in a way which resonates best with you.
Join us put faith and community first!
We look forward to your next visit.
Hours of Operation
The doors of GCLEA are opened at the following times:
Mon-Sat
Fajr Prayer - 7:00 AM
12:30 PM - Isha Prayer
Sun
Fajr Prayer - 7:00 AM
9:30 AM - Isha Prayer
It's the perfect place to visit for a quiet moment of devotion or a community event/program.
Friday prayer begins at 1:10 PM and typically concludes at 1:30 PM.
Phone: 856-227-7184
Email: info@gclea.org
Get involved.
GCLEA is currently looking for volunteer leaders in governance, operations, and education.
Available Board Positions
Marketing Officer
Development Officer
Legal Advisor
Click on the positions above for details.
(Please note: ALL board members are volunteers and expected to commit an average of 4-5 hours per month to the center. No one on the board is compensated in any manner.)
If you are interested in joining the team, send an email indicating your desired position to info@gclea.org
GCLEA is located in the Cherry Hill Business Park.
Our address is
5 Esterbrook Lane, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003.
The men's entrance is located on the south side of the building and the women's entrance is on the east side.
Our doors are clearly marked with the GCLEA logo and fully automated; opening and closing based on the schedule posted below.
Area Information
The Cherry Hill township is the state's 15th most populous municipality and the second-largest in Camden County and is just 8 miles from City Center Philadelphia.
Cherry Hill is the corporate and employment hub of South Jersey and is the home of Subaru, TD Bank, and Melitta USA. The Virtua Hospital System is also located in the region along with Cooper and Jefferson Hospitals.
With 51 public parks, Cherry Hill is a great family-oriented place to live that offers a wide variety of activities and spaces to enjoy including the Cherry Hill Public Library.
The Cherry Hill region has numerous "Star Schools" and is home to Rutgers University in Camden and Rowan University.
ABOUT US
The Gracious Center of Learning and Enrichment Activities (GCLEA), a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization, officially began operations in 2010 with the intention of providing the Muslim Community of Southern New Jersey with a variety of services and programs which would see to their spiritual, educational, and social needs. Since its opening, GCLEA has been welcomed to the area with open arms and has seen exponential growth due to the nature of its services and programs. GCLEA has become an integral part of the Southern New Jersey Community and hopes to continue to serve the area and set a new standard of excellence by which Islamic centers across the country are run.
Our VISION is to create an environment that respects tradition and values, and that promotes kindness, knowledge and civic engagement.
Our MISSION is to provide spiritual, cultural, social and educational programs for individuals in the Southern Jersey area that encourage the cultivation and enrichment of Muslim identity while fostering community connectedness and engagement.
Our VALUES, which drive program development and operation, include:
-
Honoring the cultural traditions of community members.
-
Treating all individuals with respect.
-
Building and strengthening community.
-
Promoting emotional, spiritual and physical well-being.
-
Responding to community member needs.
-
Maintaining excellence in service and program provision.
-
Ensuring fiscal responsibility and ethical behavior.
The Board of Directors
Aseem Khan, Founder & President
Eajaz Rawoof, Vice President
Shaheer Mecci, Secretary
Muhammad Ahmed Khan, Treasurer
Dr. Jubril Oyeyemi, Cherry Hill Free Clinic
(Please note: No one on the board is compensated in any manner.)
The board can be reached by email; bod@gclea.org
The Staff
John Starling
Executive Director
Joined in June 2011
John Starling is an alumnus of NCSU's Poole College of Management and the Islamic University of Madinah's College of Mission and Doctrine. He holds a Master's Degree in Islamic Studies from the Islamic University of Minnesota and a Master's Degree in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy from Bay Path University. He has also been awarded numerous traditional ijazahs/licenses with permission to narrate and teach in the fields of Islamic Law, Doctrine, and the Prophet Muhammad's Biography. In the past, he has worked at the C-level in both for-profit and nonprofit sectors here at home and abroad.
Abdul Qaadir Jelani
Security Director
Joined in July 2016
Abdul Qaadir Jelani was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York but spent many years in beautiful South Carolina where he learned the meaning of life, love, honesty, and devotion. In his early years, he studied and obtained several degrees in both Kunf Fu Wu Su and Kumite Ryu Jujitsu. He served in the US as a communication specialist in South East Asia and returned home as a disabled Vietnam Veteran. After his return, he graduated from John Jay's College of Criminology and joined the NJ Department of Corrections. He retired in 2012 with the rank of Lieutenant. During his time with the department, his training included classes in weapons (both handgun and long arms), chemical agents, and self-defense training.