Speaking of bravery, I think a lot of non-Jews don& #39;t know Judaism requires 10 Jews be together for a vast number of prayers & rituals - the faith is built around the community being in the same room. Private practice exists but is secondary. We don& #39;t have nuns, monks or hermits.

It& #39;s not just sad that you can& #39;t have family present for event X - according to traditional Jewish practice, you literally cannot conduct X w/o 10 people there. The shiva, the Jewish mourning period, presupposes prayers will be conducted that, traditionally, REQUIRE 10 people.

Many Jews don& #39;t keep the stricter, more traditional interpretations of the law, & are able to conduct their spiritual practice at a distance, but that requirement for physical proximity (so important when you& #39;re a minority & viciously oppressed at that) runs through everything.

I know every faith community puts a premium on being together. There& #39;s a reason we build buildings & call them faith "communities"! But there& #39;s a very real difference between putting a premium on & missing that, & being LITERALLY cut off from conducting your spiritual practice.

We also have a very strong tradition of pikuah nefesh, the idea that saving lives overrides any other commandment. So if gathering endangers lives, we& #39;re required to forego it. But you still can& #39;t do the things that require 10 Jews. You& #39;re choosing life over spiritual practice.