Nanny Describes Saving Two-Year-Old In Mumbai Attack

cnn.com:

The world knows her as the daring nanny who, clutching a 2-year-old boy, pushed past the havoc in a terrorized Mumbai and risked her life to keep the toddler safe.

But Sandra Samuel sees no heroism in her actions amid last week's terror attacks on India's financial capital that killed nearly 180 people -- including baby Moshe's parents, Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka. She only wishes she could have done more.

Read the whole story: cnn.com

Comments

[robiform]

03:38 PM on 12/05/2008

Toward the end of the movie "Schindler­'s List", the character played by Ben Kingsley tells Schindler, "Whoever saves one life--it is as though he (in this case, she) saved the whole world". By saving one life, Sandra Samuel has saved the whole world, and she deserves all the honors and accolades she will be receiving.

[SantaFeStars]

11:08 AM on 12/05/2008

We are all God's children regardless of race or religion. Sandra Samuel is a beautiful heroic person who lives her life without prejudice and hate. Blessings to her and little Moshe.

[juna]

10:04 AM on 12/05/2008

Sandra Samuel is a beautiful symbol of what is good in this world, as opposed to the forces of extreme wickedness that removed poor Moshe's parents from him. Sandra is definitely a righteous gentile. I can only hope that some terrorists will hear her, and come to understand that what they are doing is evil.

[rudiy]

09:52 AM on 12/05/2008

DJ_Diggs and Fussygoril­la your bigotry is well noted. In your world it does not seem to be news worthy for people to go out of their way to club a baby and kill his parents only because they were Jewish in a country where there are over a billion people and only 6,000 Jews. If you want to read news that suits you point of view only, read ME and Muslim media.

[Libbydoe]

08:57 AM on 12/05/2008

I don't understand the focus on color, religion, nationalit­y and such. She cared for this baby as his nanny and now that his parents are gone, most likely she sees herself as his mother.

[JulieSA]

10:52 AM on 12/05/2008

There's a strain of leftism that focuses obsessivel­y on biological and cultural markers like race and religion. They view each person solely as a member of some identity group.

If you learn to look at people as individual­s, race doesn't matter.

[hindy]

08:01 AM on 12/05/2008

For a number of years, I documented diaries, songs and poetry written by ordinary people during the Holocaust. Even during that darkness, there were people who behaved like saints. They were molecules of light that risked all to save lives. Some were educated. Others peasants. Some religious. Others not. All knew that the world had sunk to a level for which there was no moral justificat­ion and they took action.

Like the Indian nanny , none of these “rescuers” had doubts. Instead they risked not only their lives - but often their family’s - to save a person here - a family there.

The question for me , always was: Would I, be as good? Would I risk my life to save a Hindu, Christian, Bhuddist or Moslem child? The answer was always Yes! And I always followed that question by thanking the universe that I lived in a world where I don’t have to make that choice.

Now, after Mumbai, I realize that , faced by monsters with no sense of “human commonalit­y”, some still make these unimaginab­le decisions.

This may be the perfect time for every mother in every country to ask themselves the same question. Would I save a Christian, Jewish, Moslem, Hindu or Buddist child? In order to qualify for civilizati­on, you’ll need to answer “Yes!” to all of them. Once you’ve done that, go educate those that wouldn’t.

That Indian nanny , Sandra Samuel, has become a light we would all do well to emulate.

[harriettubman]

10:42 AM on 12/05/2008

Call me weird but if you're raised around or have traveled to learn diversity, no thoughts of a person's race, ethnicity or nationalit­y come into play during a rescue.

[fussygorilla]

07:04 AM on 12/05/2008

Who would want Israeli citizenshi­p Many Israelis themselves are immigratin­g out. India is so much more peaceful and great place to live.

[hindy]

12:33 PM on 12/05/2008

Haven't you noticed? No country is safe anymore.

[rebelzz]

02:21 AM on 12/05/2008

You guys are losing the point. She's a nanny. She let her instinct take over when the baby is in danger. You just won't throw the baby away. Even if it was a white nanny with a black kid in a terrorist attack - she'll probably save the baby as well (and it'll also be reported if every one died)! From how little Sandra held on to his nanny Moshe, we can see that racism is a human construct. She's the only person familiar to him now - probably why she agreed to go help raise him. Very very very sad.

[newshawk14]

02:15 AM on 12/05/2008

I think this lady is a true hero, and I can only hope there are relatives, who will accept Moshe
into the fold.

[suhud]

01:38 AM on 12/05/2008

Moshe's oldest brother died of Tay-Sachs disease, his other brother is institutio­nalized and dying of it, plus terrorists murdered his father and mother--wh­o sadly was 6 months pregnant. Can't imagine growing up amidst such tragedy. At least he has wonderfull­y loving, amazingly courageous Sandra, a symbol of all that is good in the human heart. That's why this story is important.

[harriettubman]

10:43 AM on 12/05/2008

Sounds like his parents needed genetic testing.

[sheitan]

09:38 AM on 12/06/2008

Suhud.
What kind of a disease is Tay-Sachs? Is it a genetic one? What are the chances that the baby also has it?

[vishix]

11:09 PM on 12/04/2008

it's a good thing she saved the baby, it takes courage to act the way she did, she didn't have to risk her life like that... imagine if a dead baby had been found shot alongside his parents? There is no way anyone could justify that.

If Pakistan can't control its population­, then the Indian government must!

[JBS]

11:00 PM on 12/04/2008

Write her name in the book of the righteous among the gentiles.

[The Lorax]

10:52 PM on 12/04/2008

My heart goes to this woman. She is so brave and humble. I hope she does not feel responsibl­e in any way for his parents... she saved the baby without thinking even of herself. She is amazing. I hope he and his brother can have a normal life after all this and she can have peace.

[hillpill]

10:42 PM on 12/04/2008

God bless her and the child.

[brooklyncitizen]

10:07 PM on 12/04/2008

Beautiful woman...wh­o knows what destiny holds for little Moshe.