Abie and Sadie had a religious goods store on Delancey Street on the lower east side of NYC. The neighborhood was changing. The Jews were moving to Westchester and the Hispanics were moving in.
“Abie, we have to move to Westchester ,” said Sadie.
“We can’t”, said Abie. “This neighborhood is our life. We’ve been here for thirty-three years. Maybe we can start stocking Catholic articles too.”
Sadie says, What? Catholic articles? Bistu in gantzen meshuggeh? We’re Jews. No Catholic articles!!!”
Well, a month passed and they sold nothing but two tallisim, three mezzuzahs and one set of tefillin. Now was the time to fish or cut bait. Sadie agreed that they had to stock Catholic articles, so she said to Abie, “OK, call that Catholic supply house on Park Avenue .”
Abie: “Hello, Catholic Supply House on Park Avenue ? This is Abie And Sadie’s on Delancey Street . I want 100 autographed pictures of the Pope, 200 of those beads – what do you call them, rosaries? 500 crucifixes… and I need those things here tomorrow.”
“OK, Sir. I got your order. Let me read it back. 100 autographed pictures of the Pope, 200 sets of rosaries and 500 crucifixes. But, tomorrow we don’t deliver… …it’s Shabbos.”