Gregory Zuckerman’s Story: Shabbat Above All Else

A recent video posted on YouTube takes a closer look at Gregory Zuckerman, a Jewish reporter at The Wall Street Journal, and his inspiring dedication to keeping Shabbat while working in the fast-paced world of American media. In a field where deadlines never sleep and the markets are constantly shifting, his story stands out as a powerful reminder that faith and professional success can go hand in hand.

One of the questions raised in the video is how Zuckerman manages to cover global financial news especially on Fridays, which are regular workdays in the United States, but lead right into Shabbat for observant Jews.

Zuckerman admits that in earlier years, it was a real challenge. “It used to be very hard,” he says. “But when there's no choice, your colleagues come to understand and even respect you.” He explains that despite working in a mostly secular environment, being open about his commitment to Torah values has brought unexpected appreciation from his peers.

He recalls one particular story that made a deep impression on him. “My team and I had been working for a long time on a major story about a company’s financial moves, its investments and bonds. Then came Rosh Hashanah, which that year fell on Shabbat. So for two full days, I was completely offline, no phone, no email, no updates. I didn’t go into the office.”

A few days later, Zuckerman picked up a newspaper and was stunned to read that the CEO of that very company had suddenly resigned during the holiday. “It was a huge story. If I hadn’t been observing Yom Tov and Shabbat, I probably would have broken it. At first, I felt awful like I had let my team down.”

But his coworkers didn’t seem to mind at all. “They weren’t too bothered,” he says with a smile. “That response made me pause and think. Maybe there was something deeper here. Maybe this moment was meant to teach me something.”

And it did. Zuckerman walked away from that experience with an even stronger sense of purpose. “No matter what happens in the media world, no matter how big the scoop, on my Shabbat, on my holidays, no one touches. Period.”

He adds, “There’s no story in the world that could make me give that up. Because at the end of the day, people really do admire someone who stands by their values. When you live by what you believe, others respect that even if they don’t share your beliefs.”

For Gregory Zuckerman, missing the “story of a lifetime” was not a loss. It was a reminder of what truly matters. Shabbat isn’t just a day off, it’s a gift, a boundary, a declaration of faith. And keeping it, no matter the cost, turned out to be its own kind of headline.