He Gave Up the Exam for Shabbat—Then Everything Changed

Rabbi Noach Palei, who helps run Jewish learning programs in Odessa, shared a moving story with Yated Ne’eman—a story of one young man, far from home, who found his way back to Jewish roots in a surprising and powerful way.

The young man, an Israeli student, had come to Ukraine to study a profession. He wasn’t religious or particularly connected to Judaism. But one day, someone from the “Dirshu” organization offered him a chance to study Daf Yomi B’Halacha—daily learning of practical Jewish law. Out of curiosity, he agreed.

The next day, he found himself sitting with a small group of young men, learning about the laws of Shabbat. Something about the learning touched him. He came back the next day. And the day after that.

Slowly, the lessons began to shape his heart as well as his mind. He didn’t suddenly become fully observant, but he began trying to keep Shabbat in a real way—avoiding the most serious prohibitions, learning what each one meant, and building new habits.

Months went by, and the time came for a critical exam—the kind that determines whether or not you receive your degree. To give himself more time to prepare, he signed up for the second test date.

But when the new date was posted, his heart sank.

The exam was scheduled for Shabbat.

Now what?

He had come so far—keeping Shabbat for weeks now, feeling its peace and power. But this was a once-in-a-lifetime test. If he didn’t take it, he might never get the degree he’d worked so hard for.

Conflicted but calm, he turned to his teachers, who sent him up the chain until he reached the head of the campus.

“I’m Jewish,” he explained simply, “and because of my conscience and faith, I cannot write on Shabbat. I’m asking to move the test to a different day.”

But the answer was firm: “This is the second test date. If you don’t take it now, you forfeit the degree.”

He thanked them—and refused to take the test.

There were no protests, no drama. Just a clear choice. “Shabbat is more important to me,” he said. “Even if it means giving up the degree.”

His lecturer later recalled, “I expected him to be down, maybe broken. But instead, he told me he felt proud. He knew the price—but felt stronger for choosing what was right.”

Two weeks later, something unexpected happened.

He was called into the office of the dean—someone responsible for the entire campus. The dean had heard the full story and was so moved by the young man’s sincerity that he decided, for the first time in his entire career, to make an exception.

He allowed the student to take the test privately, right there in his office.

The young man passed with flying colors.

Word spread quickly across the campus—especially among the Jewish students. They were amazed, and deeply moved.

When asked about it later, the student said something simple and unforgettable:
“I thought I was choosing Shabbat. But maybe it was Shabbat that chose to protect me.”

That decision marked a turning point in his life. Slowly, he drew even closer to his Jewish heritage, until he eventually embraced the mitzvot fully—with joy.