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Speaking of bravery, I think a lot of non-Jews don'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't have nuns, monks or hermits.
It's not just sad that you can'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'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're a minority & viciously oppressed at that) runs through everything.
I know every faith community puts a premium on being together. There's a reason we build buildings & call them faith "communities"! But there'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're required to forego it. But you still can't do the things that require 10 Jews. You're choosing life over spiritual practice.
