It is important to have a minyan

Dear Editor:

When my husband recently passed away, I tried to attend minyan every day.

I went to the Jewish Academy during the week where I met a number of dedicated people who were there for me. BUT WE DID NOT HAVE A MINYAN EVERY DAY. If we were missing one and had only nine the Torah took that person’s place. Once or twice we had to depend on getting a teacher to stand in if we had only eight in order to recite Kaddish. I told the group that I would give back by attending at least once a month, on a Monday, which seemed to be the day when Torah is read but not enough people attend to do so. I went there on Monday, Nov 12, and there were only three in attendance—ALL WOMEN.

I think the community at large should know about this. If a certain amount of Jews would only carry out this mitzvah on a weekly or monthly basis this problem would not exist. Come on community, hundreds gather together when there is a tragedy in another state or country, but ten can’t even come together to allow a fellow neighbor to say Kaddish for a loved one?  What’s wrong with this picture?  

— Anonymous