Stand Up for Belief

Mr. Goldwyn sat forward at his desk and peered over his glasses.  You’re a what?”

“I’m a Jew, Mr. Goldwyn, and I can’t work on the high holy days.”

“You mean it?  It’s not one of your little jokes?”

“No. I’ll do anything in the world for you, Mr. Goldwyn, but I won’t work on Yom Kippur.”

“You’re a real Jew?”

“Yes, sir.  I converted several months ago.”

“You know what it’ll cost me to suspend production for a day?  We can’t change the schedule, it’s too late.  Twenty-five thousand.  Maybe more.”

“I just learned today that I’m scheduled to shoot on Yom Kippur, sir.  I came up as soon as I heard.”

He threw out his hands. “Sammy –answer me a question. What did I ever do to you?”
“Sir, you’ve been wonderful and I feel terrible about the problems I’m causing you.  It’s one day of the year when I won’t work.  I’m sorry.  I really am.”

He took off his glasses. “Sammy, you’re a little so and so, but go with your yarmulke and your tallis – we’ll work it out somehow.”  He sighed, like now he’d seen everything and as I left his office he was behind his desk talking to the four walls, “Directors I can fight.  Fires on the set I can fight.  Writers, even actors, I can fight.  But a Jewish colored fellow?  This I can’t fight!?”

-from Yes I Can!