It started out as a fun Saturday evening. My husband and I met friends of ours for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. Our friends had never been to this particular restaurant and so they enjoyed being with us and exploring a new place.

It happened at the end of what would have been a perfect evening. As we were finishing our coffee one of the diners at the table next to us said to his dining companion, unfortunately loud enough for everyone at our table to hear, “I really like them Jews. They really know how to earn a buck.”

For a moment, everything at our table stopped. All four of us, all Jewish, looked at one another so as to confirm what we heard. With a silent nod we confirmed that we did, in fact, hear what was said. No one at our table said a word.

As I left the restaurant and passed the other table, I momentarily paused and considered saying something to the man. But I couldn’t find the words. So I passed the table and left the restaurant in silence.

Would you have said something? And, if so, what would you have said?