In America, no one should need a governmental permit to pray. The Creator has already given us that right, and the First Amendment protects it. I learned this lesson through a fight I never expected — a fight that has resulted in an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
I am an Orthodox Jew. My faith requires me to pray three times a day with a minyan, a quorum of 10 Jewish men. Orthodox Jews don’t drive on the Sabbath or on holidays such as Yom Kippur and Passover. Jewish law also limits ordinary travel on those days, so prayer must be close to where you live.
So, I did what Americans of faith have done since the founding of this country: I sent a simple e-mail to a few of my friends inviting them to pray at my residence…