The seeds of American liberty were planted by those who fled religious persecution and sought a land where they could live according to the convictions of their consciences. But in a suburb of Cleveland, local government officials attempted to prevent one Jewish man, Daniel Grand, from hosting fellow Jews in his house to pray.
The First Amendment demands a higher standard from American public officials. It enshrines the principle beautifully articulated by President George Washington in his letter to the Hebrew congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1790 that “every one shall sit in safety under his own Vine and Figtree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.”
As an Orthodox Jew, Grand is required to pray three times a day, preferably with a group of at least 10 men to constitute a “minyan.” Because traveling to his synagogue by foot is difficult, Grand invited others in his community to
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