Bronx, NY – Iraq Vet Saves Prominent Rebbetzin from Choking at Yankee Stadium

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     Antonelli/News National Guardsman John Stone helps a choking woman (in sunglasses) in the stands behind home plate during the Yankees loss to the Los Angeles Angels.Bronx, NY – An Army medic who served in Iraq became a hero in the stands at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday when he saved a prominent Bronx rabbi’s wife choking on a piece of kosher London broil.

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    John Stone, 38, of Montville, Conn., sprang into action when he spotted Toby Weiss gagging about 15 rows in front of him in the section behind home plate.

    “It was a very big scare. Toby’s life was saved by a man who really, for us, is a great hero,” said Rabbi Avi Weiss of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale.

    “There were a bunch of people around her and I thought they had it under control,” Stone told the Daily News. “But when I looked closer, it was evident they didn’t.

    “Basically, I just went down there and told the guy working on her that I’m an Army medic,” said Stone, a staff sergeant with the Connecticut National Guard.

    As the choking woman began to turn blue, the attention of fans turned from Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez to the rescuer in a Don Mattingly jersey performing the Heimlich maneuver in the stands.

    “I stepped behind her, gave her about five or six abdominal thrusts and eventually she coughed up whatever she was choking on,” Stone said.

    Toby Weiss was checked out at a Stadium first-aid station as a precaution and returned to her seat to thank Stone. “I said to him, ‘I’m a big Yankee fan, but I really didn’t want to die in Yankee Stadium,'” she said.

    Rabbi Weiss said other people rushed to help his wife. “People tried very hard to do the Heimlich maneuver, but it just wasn’t working and it was getting desperate,” he said. “Suddenly this kind of Elijah figure appeared from nowhere. He knew exactly what to do.”

    Following the scare, fans applauded, hugged and high-fived Stone on his way back up to his seat. Stone was at the Stadium with his brother Jamie, an Army infantry soldier on leave from duty in Afghanistan.

    Word of the heroics quickly spread to Bombers’ honchos, who gave Stone gift bags and moved him, his brother and his brother’s girlfriend down to the first row of the Legends section, where seats normally go for about $1,250 each.

    Though Stone treated much more serious battle wounds during his tour of duty in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, he never performed the Heimlich maneuver for real until yesterday.

    “I treated soldiers a lot worse than her, but this is the first time I’ve ever done it in the civilian world,” Stone said. “I’m just happy that lady is okay.”

    Stone said he can’t help but think he was destined to be at yesterday’s game, his first visit to the new Yankee Stadium.

    “I’ve been a Yankee fan my whole life,” said Stone, proudly wearing his pinstripes and a University of Maine cap. “I’m kind of still in shock about everything that went on.”


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    170 Comments
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    Sholem
    Sholem
    13 years ago

    Toda “Rabbah”

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Very nice hashem is all over may he be blessed

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Kol HaKavod. Thank you sir, for your service to our country and Klal Yisrael!!!

    Eli
    Eli
    13 years ago

    כל המקיים נפש אחת, כאילו קיים עולם מלא

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    A true Humanitarian!!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    This is the meaning of a Humanitarian!

    Farkart
    Farkart
    13 years ago

    Thank god she is fine. Just wondering what educatial route one has to take to become a Rebbitzen Yankee fan.Incredible, the rebitzens of yore used to sit home and give chizuk shiurim to the ladies, conduct loshin Hora gorups ,parenting classes, Tehilim groups and Tefilah courses. I can just see where this is leading firs we got the first women Rabbah and soon we will be chearing on the new “Orthodox Baseball Women league” way to go Rebitzin!

    Hashgachah Pratis
    Hashgachah Pratis
    13 years ago

    What Hashgachah Pratis!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Prominent shmominent. Toshe Rabbi’s wife never went to a Yankee game

    Mendee
    Mendee
    13 years ago

    G-d has meny mesengers

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Wow good for him.

    all choked up
    all choked up
    13 years ago

    I wonder what she was choking on. I’m glad she’s OK…it’s very frightening, it happened to my mother. This guy is a real hero.

    Daas Torah
    Daas Torah
    13 years ago

    Ironic??

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    he did a very good deed. I am just thinking aloud. when someone does the right thing or action, that makes him or her a hero ? have we become that far, that when someone cares about another person and sees something wrong and goes and help and does the right thing he or she is a hero ? also hero gets thrown around, this man is not a hero b/c of wat he did by the game but rather he is a hero for wat he did in army, from a medic that I knw its not a easy job in a time of war.

    to # 7
    to # 7
    13 years ago

    I was gonna say the samething. You couldnt’ve said better!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    rabbi weiss, hum? that name sounds familiar, is this the rabbi weiss who ordained that woman as a rabbah?! if yes i think this may show something.

    Prominent what??
    Prominent what??
    13 years ago

    “Prominent rebetzin” indeed!! I am glad she was saved from choking, but, I think her title is a misnomer. She’s the only “prominent rebitzen” I ever heard that went to a baseball game. I don’t think really prominent rabbonim attend baseball games either.

    Prominent ha ha
    Prominent ha ha
    13 years ago

    Her husband is no prominent Rabbi, unless by prominence you mean he makes a lot of noise and controversies and she is as prominent a rebetzin as he is a rabbi.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    at a yankee game you choke on the food. at a met game you choke just from watching

    Tanna Kamma
    Tanna Kamma
    13 years ago

    Rebbetzin?!! No such thing, you must meant “Rabbah”!!!

    rebbe reb tzutz
    rebbe reb tzutz
    13 years ago

    Yankee Stadium is a very convenient and efficient place to be mekarev and influence people. Must be at least 10% to 20% Jews, especially in new Yankee Stadium, where high prices keep riffraff like me out.

    cool masmid
    cool masmid
    13 years ago

    A nice ending to not such a nice beginning. No place for a frum women sitting amongst goyim fressing chicken(or whatever it was). Certainly a big lapse in tzenius for a frum women. You guys can jump all over me, but its just a fact – again its not a place for frum women to be. I would go so far as to say it was a chillul Hashem. Many would agree with me.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Dont understand what is a Jew doing by a ball game in the first place???? Al Tismach El Gil Huamim?? she and the likes of her should be ashamed of themselves!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    John (the Hero) is my older Brother….. He was enjoying the game with my younger brother who is home on leave from the War in Afghanistan. Being that they both served in wars they were both HEROS in my eyes before this game. Now John is a Hero in yet another aspect. I talked to him shortly after it happened and he said what all heros say. “I just did what anyone would have done…… I’m glad she is okay”. I am very proud of him!!! My younger brother goes back to Afghanistan on Sat. I’m sure they will both remember that game forever!!

    Who's the Rebbetzin?
    Who's the Rebbetzin?
    13 years ago

    I think he’s the Rebbetzin! After all, if she’s the Rabba, then he must be the Rabbatzin.

    ha
    ha
    13 years ago

    Its Rabbah Weiss 😉

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    This is pretty obvious. A real rebetzin will not be found at a ball game. period. Its the result of modern orthodoxy making its way over to us.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Usually the Mets choke.

    European Yid
    European Yid
    13 years ago

    I grew up in Slobodka and I recall that many of the Kollel wives and Rebbitzens attended sporting events. While they could not afford season tickets, they usually took in a few games each season.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    I was not going to read the article but the word propminent rebitzen really got me saying which rebitzen from boro park?

    I was there
    I was there
    13 years ago

    The article has the wrong information. I hate to bust some peoples bubble but the young man in the picture wearing the grey polo shirt was actually the one who saved this womens life, yet he gets no mention. I was there watching everything, Mr. Stone attempted to help but was unable to get the object out. The guy in the polo shirt was the one doing the heimlech most of the time and was the one who got the object to come out.

    wrry about urself
    wrry about urself
    13 years ago

    4 crying out loud,if u r not god,SHUT UP,its not any of ur places 2 judge where frum women could be or they cant be,wrry about urselves,its people like u that make me sick!!!!!!!

    EMT
    EMT
    13 years ago

    Do you know CPR? maybe you should learn? you never know when you’ll be at a Yankee game!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    She should have been rooting for the Red Sox

    a yid
    a yid
    13 years ago

    How ironic that Avi Weiss’s wife gets called a Rebbetzin in the news Bifnei Kol Am Va’aidoh!! ‘Rebbetzin’ is like a dirty word for his philosophy. He has been trying so hard to find other ways for spiritually motivated women to grow personally and express their desirers to help others.
    Perhaps this could be a reminder to him and his feminist friends that we don’t need NEW venues for women. We don’t need Rabbis, Rabbohs, poskos or anything else, Klal Yisroel has always respected, cherished and honored its rabbis’ wives and its Rebbetzins!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    on the scorecard, who get credit for the “save”?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Kol kevudah bas melech Pnimoh!

    Daas Torah
    Daas Torah
    13 years ago

    Here is the dilemma

    If a Frum girl wants to go skiing, can she wear ski-pants?

    If a Frum boy wants to go ice skating, can he skate behind a Woman?

    If a Frum woman goes to a public beach, does she have to cover her hair?

    We live in a society were people want to talk the talk but not walk the walk. If you are a RAV, or Rebbetzin you must comport yourself in a certain manner, regardless of whether it is permitted by the letter of the Law(Halacha). If you espouse certain values then you should try to live by those values. Hope Mrs Weiss is alright.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    May she merit a refuah b’ruchnius and gashmius b’zchus Avrohom, Yitzchok and of course “Yankee”. Lord knows Sarah, Rivkah, Rochel and Leah are already crying.

    My Opinion
    My Opinion
    13 years ago

    It’s a good thing she didn’t choke to death, but, the reason all this is making such a storm is that she is called a rebitzen. I don’t think the definition of rebitzen, necessarily means the wife of a rabbi, nor does it need ordination. It is an earned title, earned by the way a woman conducts herself and the hashkofos she imparts. A woman does not call herself rebitzen, others give her that title. Maybe in Rabbi Weiss’s shul, his wife is given that title by the kind of clientele that davens there, but, for most main stream frum Jews, she would not be called rebitzen by a long shot, nor would Avi Weiss be considered a rabbi. I personally consider myself mainstream frum, Yeshivishe, ultra orthodox, whatever and I wouldn’t go to a baseball game and I don’t think frum men should go either. It is biyul zman, full of pritzus, chukas hagoyim etc. I have nothing against a team of Yeshivaleit playing baseball in the park, bain hazemanim, and even their wives (rebitzens perhaps) could watch the game.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    todah “rabbah” or should I say todah “maharat”

    moshe kapoyer
    moshe kapoyer
    13 years ago

    I dont see the rabbi in the picture was he also there ?????????????

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    i think her father A”H was involved with a lot of Tzedaka projects in Eretz Yisraek some thirty years ago. if so, maybe his zchus helped.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Re. to # 99 . Beware, he who curses someone, may be cursed,himself .

    Yankel from BP
    Yankel from BP
    13 years ago

    I am embarrased… I feel shame that our people could make these kinds of comments and during sefira also ! Instead of asking a shaila about acapella music, maybe we could ask a shaila about whether we are allowed to spread sina against fellow jews during sefira… The only thing I can add is a big yasher koach to Mr. Stone for saving a person’s life.

    concerned
    concerned
    13 years ago

    To all those with hate filled comments, here’s something to think about. I work in an office with many non-frum women, and they came to this website to read about Rebetzen Weiss’s story. Their reaction was disgust and shock that the “frum people” they were supposed to strive to emulate could speak this way about eachother. Please, watch your words, you never know when you could be responsible for turning people off. Today many of you accomplished just that.

    To #57
    To #57
    13 years ago

    Watch yourself, #46 is my brother! We’re the big bad bek boys – if you mess with him, you mess with me. And the biggest and baddest one has yet to post.

    t s
    t s
    13 years ago

    how about making this constructive?

    learn the heinlich maneuver yourself. you might save your or someone else’s loved one.

    biggest baddest bekkishe boy of the bunch
    biggest baddest bekkishe boy of the bunch
    13 years ago

    Wowwy, what a field day we are all having at my poor auntie’s expense! The ‘right rebbitzen’ is indeed a bona fide rebbitzen who gives herself over to chessed and maasim tovim. She regularly has tens of people over at her shabbos table. She is completely misbatel herself to her husband’s very rigorous schedule & frequent absences over the decades while fighting to defend causes important to ALL of us, from modern orthodox to super-duper holy-roller charedi (such as demonstrating on behalf of Russian yidden locked behind the iron curtain unable to be shomer torah umitzvos, personally travelling to Poland to demand that the nuns remove their crosses from Auschwitz, etc.). Is her husband controversial, even polarizing? Yes. But agree with him or not, there is NO doubt he is doing what he is doing in order to be mekarev people. In either case, Mrs. Weiss is no less a baalass chessed, ishah tzenuah than any other rebbitzen just because she is normal enough to enjoy a spring afternoon watching a ball game. She happens to be the daughter of a great tzaddik who exemplified modesty and avodas hashem.

    Mayhaychi taysi a rebbitzen can’t be a little normal too?

    Daas Torah
    Daas Torah
    13 years ago

    Dear Milhouse,

    If Psak is arbitration you are correct. Women are allowed.
    But True DIN Torah requires men as does testifying.
    The issue here is misrepresentation, the stated purpose of The Rabba was to give women a chance to finally assume leadership roles in the orthodox community, as stated by Rabbi Weiss and Mrs. Hurwitz. The title thy previously had was that of MaHaRaT i.e. Manhigah…..LEADER. The issue is having women assume position of leadership and officiate Rabbinic and Religious ceremonies, of which some are problematic.
    1) They cannot be Matir Neder for example
    2) They cannot be Mesader Kiddushin (officiate a wedding)
    3) they cannot be Mesader Gittin
    4) They cannot pasken ‘din Torah’
    5) They cannot testify
    6) They should not perform a Bris.
    7)They probably should not be Shliach Tzibbur
    8)They cannot be counted for a Minyan
    9) They should not read the Torah publicly.

    The mitzva of counting days is not on her per se, but rather that the days should be counted, much like Yovel is a mitzva that the years shpould be counted and not not incumbent on her or him individually…