Judaism Quote by Amy Bloom
““Two starving Jews, Mr. Cohen and Mr. Ellenbogen, are sitting on a park bench, sharing their last piece of bread. They look across the park and a priest’s putting up a big sign in front of his church: CONVERT NOW AND WE’LL GIVE YOU $1,000! “Oh, boy,” says Cohen. “I’ll do it!” An hour later, he comes out, looking happy. Ellenbogen says to him, “Did they give you the money?” Cohen spits in his direction. “Is that all you people ever think about?””
About This Quote
Source Short story: “The Conversion,” 2005, The New Yorker
The tale critiques materialism and the commodification of faith, showing how desperation can corrupt moral values and reduce humanity to transactional thinking.
In simple terms: Desperation turns faith into a transaction, exposing greed.
Key Takeaway
Guard against reducing faith to money.
Themes
faith
materialism
ethics
human nature
Mood
critical
empathetic
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- poverty relief
- religious outreach
- charitable giving
- community support
Key Concepts
moral philosophy
social critique
Questions to Reflect On
- What ethical boundaries should limit religious fundraising?
- How can we address poverty without exploiting faith?
A Different Perspective
It assumes all religious institutions act similarly.
