Pinay caregiver feted for saving Holocaust survivor’s life


A Filipino caregiver has been recognized by the Philippine Embassy in Tel-Aviv, Israel for saving the life of a Holocaust survivor from a hit-and-run incident, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday.
The Philippine Embassy in Tel-Aviv identified the Filipino good Samaritan as Charmaine Fernandez, a caregiver in Israel who used her body to protect her employer, the 95-year-old Missa Schindler, when a speeding vehicle came toward them as the two women were crossing the pedestrian lane.
The driver of the speeding vehicle managed to bring the car to a stop in time so as not to hit the women but the vehicle crushed Ms. Schindler's walker. The driver was later detained by the police.

Filipino caregiver Sharmaine Fernandez (2nd right) is flanked by Holocaust survivor Missa Schindler (2nd left), Philippine Ambassador to Israel Neal Imperial (left), and Dr. Abraham Schindler at the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv on April 17, 2019, after she was awarded a commendation for saving Schindler from being ran over by a vehicle. Fernandez shares her award with the Schindlers. PHL Embassy photo
Filipino caregiver Sharmaine Fernandez (2nd right) is flanked by Holocaust survivor Missa Schindler (2nd left), Philippine Ambassador to Israel Neal Imperial (left), and Dr. Abraham Schindler at the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv on April 17, 2019, after she was awarded a commendation for saving Schindler from being ran over by a vehicle. Fernandez shares her award with the Schindlers. PHL Embassy photo

It was Dr. Abraham Schindler, son of Ms. Schindler, who reported Fernandez's noble action to the Philippine Embassy.
Philippine Ambassador to Tel-Aviv Neal Imperial, who awarded the special citation to Fernandez on Monday (Manila time), lauded the Filipino caregiver for her selfless display of courage beyond the call of duty.
“Her example has elevated the dignity of Filipino caregivers in Israel and has given honor to all Filipino workers in the world. Our workers are the Philippines' best ambassadors of goodwill here in Israel, and we are lucky to have about 24,000 living and working here,” Imperial said in a statement.
“They fulfill a vital role here, helping Israelis care for the elderly and infirm members of their families. Ms. Fernandez is an outstanding example of how, on a daily basis, Filipino caregivers do their best to make sure that their patients are given the best of care,” Imperial added.
Dr. Schindler, for his part, added that Fernandez’s gesture to his mom reminded him of the time in the 1960s when he was taken care of by the Filipino medical personnel when he was attacked by a mob in Libya.
Ms. Schindler was brought from Italian-occupied Libya to a concentration camp in Germany in the 1940s.
During the grant of the citation, the Schindler family also recalled the story of how the Philippines provided a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution in the 1930s through the Open Door policy of President Manuel L. Quezon.
This collaboration of the Filipinos and Jews is enshrined at the Rishon Lezion Monument Park. — Llanesca T. Panti/RSJ, GMA News

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