The Fast

In 1950, a religious Jew came to America from Safed, Israel. He went into the real estate business in the suburbs of New York City, married a Jewish woman, and set up a home. After a year, his wife gave birth to a baby girl. Through the years, the family's life followed the typical American success story.

When the young lady reached college age, she attended Columbia University, where she met a fine Protestant young man. They dated for several months and then decided to get married. Meanwhile, her father continued to think that the relationship was not serious.

One day the family and the boy went to Forest Hills Country Club to have dinner. Towards the end of the meal, the young lady turned to her father and said, "Dad, John and I plan to get married." The father looked at her intently and said softly, "Fine, but please wait until I am dead before marrying him." He then pushed his plate aside and stopped eating.

As the days passed, he continued to fast. His health began to fail and he grew pale and weak. Neither his friends, nor his family, nor his daughter could convince him to eat. He remained at home, not venturing out either to work nor to see friends.

Finally, the doctor told the man's daughter that she had her choice - she could give up the boy or she would shortly be attending her father's funeral. The young lady was under great emotional stress as she watched her father waste away due to his feelings about her decision. She initially thought that her father's fast would last only a short time and then he would accept the proposed marriage and stop this "nonsense." Thus, when she heard the doctor's words, her resolve was washed away by tears at the shocking thought of her father's death.

She went into her father's room and stood before him, sobbing as she spoke, "Daddy, I love you. I can't marry him and watch you die. I'm not going to marry him. Please, forgive me."

A totally committed parent will usually find a way to successfully prevent an intermarriage - if he is wiling to pay the price.