One of the nefarious lies from antisemites is that Jews believe non-Jewish people are somehow inferior, and we should not even try to save the life of a non-Jewish person.
As I said, this is a nefarious lie; the concept of “Chosen People” – which is invariably what the antisemites use as the linchpin of their argument – means we need to be a light unto the nations. And this of course means performing deeds of loving-kindness towards everyone and spreading good throughout the world.
So I am always really pleased to read stories like this.
When Hasidic men on airplanes are in the news, it’s generally not for a good reason. But what about all the polite and positive interactions that go on everyday, unreported? Or the heroic ones, like what happened on a flight this week from Tel Aviv to JFK, when two Satmar Hasidic men saved the day?
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The flight was halfway through its 10 hour travel time, and the plane was somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. Most of the passengers were asleep, but an Arab woman wasn’t feeling well. She had gone to the plane’s rear galley to get help from a flight attendant, and as she approached the galley, she collapsed. An announcement was made asking that if anyone had medical training they should alert a flight attendant immediately. Not only is Shonbraun a Mohel and a business owner, he and his friend Miller are also longtime members of the Kiryas Joel Hatzolah (Shonbrun for 12 years and Miller for 20). Shonbrun immediately ran up the aisle towards the galley to help, while calling for Miller, who was asleep at the time, to wake up. Shonbrun recalls “I had my kit and licenses with me. Even though there was a doctor on the plane, he didn’t have his ID and so they had me help.”
The woman was unresponsive and Shonbrun did what he could to wake her. When she became responsive again, she was began throwing up, and Shonbraun helped clean her up and take her vitals.”By the time I got there,” Miller says,”Beirish was working hard to get a story out of her. We gave her water and ice and helped her sit up.” Miller worked with a hijab-wearing translator to get a medical history since the patient spoke no English (or Yiddish). “We stabilized her,” Shonbrun says, “The pilot asked if we needed to make an emergency landing, but by that time, she felt much better. We were able to avoid it.” When the woman was safely back in her seat, Shonbrun and Miller told her where they were sitting so that she could follow up if need be. They went back to their seats. Miller recalls, “The service was nice to begin with but from that moment on, everyone was just thrilled. Everyone couldn’t thank us enough.”
Just as a humorous aside, it looks like they are saving someone who looks like Hillary Clinton from the photo.
