The essence of Jewish survival

Bill Gates decides to organize an enormous session of recruitment for a chairman for Microsoft Europe. The 5000 candidates are all assembled in a large room. One of the candidates is Maurice Cohen, a little Parisian Jewish Tunisian.

Mr. Gates thanks all the candidates for coming and asks that all those who do not know JAVA program language rise and leave. 2000 people rise and leave the room. Maurice Cohen says to himself, “I do not know this language but what have I got to lose if I stay? I’ll give it a try”.

Bill Gates asks all the candidates that those who have never had experience of team management of more than 100 people rise and leave.

2000 people rise and leave the room. Maurice Cohen says to himself, “I have never managed anybody but myself but what have I got to lose if I stay? What can happen to me”? So he stays.

Then Bill Gates asks all the candidates who do not have excellent college diplomas to rise and leave. 500 people rise and leave the room. Maurice Cohen says to him self, “I left school at 15 but what have I got to lose if I stay? So he stays in the room.

Lastly, Mr. Gates asks all of the candidates who do not speak the Serbo-Croat language to rise and leave. 498 people rise and leave the room. Maurice Cohen says himself, “I do not speak Serbo-Croat but what the hell! – have I got anything to lose?” So he stays in the room.

He finds himself alone with one other candidate – everyone else has gone. Bill Gates joins them and says: “Apparently you are the only two candidates who speak Serbo-Croatian, so I’d now like to hear you both have a little conversation in that language!

Calmly Maurice turns to the other candidate and says to him: “Ma nishtana halaila hazeh mikol halelot.”

The other candidate answers:”Shebechol halelot anu ochlin hamatza umatza.”