Photo of black man sleeping on a Jewish man’s shoulder on the subway goes viral around the world

[realizm]

This photo of Orthodox Jew Isaac Theil letting an unidentified black man sleep on his shoulder on the Q train in Brooklyn last week has gone viral.

This straphanger's shoulder has become an internet sensation.

Oscar "Isaac" Theil, 65, was on his way home to the Kensington section of Brooklyn on the Q train when an unidentified man fell asleep on his shoulder for more than a half hour last Thursday night.

Another rider was amazed at the scene — a black man sleeping on the shoulder of a white man in a yarmulke — so he gently asked if he wanted help to wake the slumbering straphanger.

"He had a long day so let him sleep. We've all been there," Theil responded.

The other rider captured the moment with a quick cell phone picture that he then posted online with a brief explanation.

The picture and caption has gone viral on the internet, with 1.3 million “likes” and 172,563 shares on Facebook. It’s also received a whopping 228 comments on reddit, where it was originally posted.

Read more: Source

[Turbo19]

At the risk of a cliche and echoing others I don't see race as a huge factor in this, rather I see a person who was compassionate enough to leave his seatmate resting after a long day. That in itself is touching.

 

Perhaps it's a shame that we aren't all as compassionate like Mr. Theil but perhaps we can all take a cue from his action as captured on camera.

[QM1to6Ave]

That is a very nice image! Good change from the usual garbage that turns up online

[46Dover]

I went unconscious and forgot why when I was riding on the X27 years ago, and when I came to, I was sleeping on a lady's shoulder. Needless to say, I was embarrassed, and apologized again and again, but she said it was okay. You'd probably find more compassion like this on an Express Bus as opposed to the Subway or Local Bus

[Vistausss]

@46dover: Surprised your story didn't go 'viral'.

[46Dover]

@46dover: Surprised your story didn't go 'viral'.

I know right?

[bobtehpanda]

I went unconscious and forgot why when I was riding on the X27 years ago, and when I came to, I was sleeping on a lady's shoulder. Needless to say, I was embarrassed, and apologized again and again, but she said it was okay. You'd probably find more compassion like this on an Express Bus as opposed to the Subway or Local Bus

 

I dunno. I find it happens pretty frequently on the subway. Most of the time on the local bus though, people sleep on the window, or a bag, or something else.

[Grand Concourse]

It's nice, but I don't think i'd be as tolerant of someone napping on my shoulder. 

[Vistausss]

@GC: What if it was a hot girl taking a nap on your shoulder?

[realizm]

This article over a simple pic of a simple subway commute on the caught my attention because coincidentally to me is a refreshing change from the usual crap we see concerning race relations in this city. Or for that matter, bringing down a prevalent negative assumption concerning straphangers who commutes in our subways.

 

Apparently it must had did something for the internet audience on a positive note as it recieved over one million likes on Facebook which is phenomenal in itself. Also the timing of it, which is coincidentally fitting, as we are preparing for a new mayor-elect to take over City Hall.

 

The pic reveals the positive side of residents in the Big Apple, the fact that we as New Yorkers are only human and don't always think in a sense of insubordinate pride or in tones of color, contrary to popular belief. I'm sure many are feeling the same way that I do, that this moment proves that as many are saying on the internet, there is still some hope for humanity here.

 

A picture can be louder than a 1000 words.

[QM1to6Ave]

One of my co-workers was discussing this today and showed me an article stating that the two men may publicly meet so the sleeping guy can thank the Jewish guy publicly. I'm trying to find that article now...

[Via Garibaldi 8]

One of my co-workers was discussing this today and showed me an article stating that the two men may publicly meet so the sleeping guy can thank the Jewish guy publicly. I'm trying to find that article now...

LOL... I'm sorry but that sounds ridiculous and so unnecessary.  I doubt this would be getting any news coverage if a black guy was sleeping on another black guys' shoulder.

[B35 via Church]

Although this was on a saturday early last month (october), What's totally coincidental was that I saw a Hasidic Jew doze off on a black woman's shoulder... The look on her face was priceless - after she woke up, that is!

 

...aye, I'm not one of these candid camera ass nzzzz, so I didn't bother to take a shot.

 

One of my co-workers was discussing this today and showed me an article stating that the two men may publicly meet so the sleeping guy can thank the Jewish guy publicly. I'm trying to find that article now...

Thank him for what, not stringing him up from a tree..... Taking away his rap &/or hoop dream(s)

 

If you ever find the article, could you share it with us? Thanks.

 

It's nice, but I don't think i'd be as tolerant of someone napping on my shoulder. 

I don't think it's nice at all.... Matter fact, this shouldn't even be a story....

 

.....What if it was a hot girl taking a nap on your shoulder?

Had that happen before (someone I deemed attractive end up dozing off on me).... Still an uncomfortable feeling.....

A "hot girl" is still a person.... Tapped her on the shoulder & did the "dust the dirt off my (own) shoulder" gesture....

 

Needless to say, she got the point, and apologized.

[QM1to6Ave]

Although this was on a saturday early last month (october), What's totally coincidental was that I saw a Hasidic Jew doze off on a black woman's shoulder... The look on her face was priceless - after she woke up, that is!

 

...aye, I'm not one of these candid camera ass nzzzz, so I didn't bother to take a shot.

 

Thank him for what, not stringing him up from a tree..... Taking away his rap &/or hoop dream(s)

 

If you ever find the article, could you share it with us? Thanks.

 

I don't think it's nice at all.... Matter fact, this shouldn't even be a story....

 

Had that happen before (someone I deemed attractive end up dozing off on me).... Still an uncomfortable feeling.....

A "hot girl" is still a person.... Tapped her on the shoulder & did the "dust the dirt off my (own) shoulder" gesture....

 

Needless to say, she got the point, and apologized.

Here you go. It took me a while to find it because it is published in a jewish website (my co-worker is Jewish and reads it frequently, while I am not so I don't read it lol). 

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/General+News/200373/UPDATE:+

LOL... I'm sorry but that sounds ridiculous and so unnecessary.  I doubt this would be getting any news coverage if a black guy was sleeping on another black guys' shoulder.

I think its part of our internet culture...lots of weird stuff that normally would go unnoticed just blows up and goes viral for who knows what reasons. 

[realizm]

One of my co-workers was discussing this today and showed me an article stating that the two men may publicly meet so the sleeping guy can thank the Jewish guy publicly. I'm trying to find that article now...

 

There was a mixup that threw some journalists off, which was erroneously cited in the Huffington Post. The article is now deleted.

 

This was the misguided source: https://www.facebook.com/wearecharidy

 

Charidy

8 hours ago

 

Hi folks: earlier we said that the person claiming to be the sleeping person in the picture wasn't actually in the picture. He was totally right that we can't 100% be sure that he wasn't the one, so we've taken down the status and we'll just state the facts we know.

 

1. The person who originally posted the picture on Reddit, and the other person people identified as being the awake man in the picture, both said the picture was taken on Thursday.

 

2. The person who said he was sleeping in the picture says the picture it was taken in 2010.

 

It's QUITE possible that they both were in different pictures, and there was just a mixup. If that's true, that means there was DOUBLE the kindness. Good news either way.

 

We apologize if we offended anyone with our original post. Have a wonderful day

[MHV9218]

LOL... I'm sorry but that sounds ridiculous and so unnecessary.  I doubt this would be getting any news coverage if a black guy was sleeping on another black guys' shoulder.

 

No shit. Your point? Black-Jewish relationships have been historically terrible in NYC (Crown Heights, anybody?), part of what makes this all the more interesting to people. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

No shit. Your point? Black-Jewish relationships have been historically terrible in NYC (Crown Heights, anybody?), part of what makes this all the more interesting to people. 

Are we supposed to throw a party now because a Jewish man let a black man sleep on his shoulder? I mean really... This is like so unnecessary and silly.  You make it sound as if it has only been Jewish and black relations that have been strained in this city historically.  New Yorkers of all creeds have had strained relationships but we all tolerate each other to a certain extent.  

[realizm]

Many stateside and around the world viewing this pic on the internet who are not in NYC still have the images of the 1991 Crown Heights riots in their minds. Furthermore today the class divide is widening again, in fact making New York City the most segregated city in the US according to the NY Times. That's why the pic and story behind it had a major impact on the internet.

[MHV9218]

Are we supposed to throw a party now because a Jewish man let a black man sleep on his shoulder? I mean really... This is like so unnecessary and silly.  You make it sound as if it has only been Jewish and black relations that have been strained in this city historically.  New Yorkers of all creeds have had strained relationships but we all tolerate each other to a certain extent.  

 

I didn't say I thought the reaction was justified, I just had to point out the major difference between your example and this situation.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Many stateside and around the world viewing this pic on the internet who are not in NYC still have the images of the 1991 Crown Heights riots in their minds. Furthermore today the class divide is widening again, in fact making New York City the most segregated city in the US according to the NY Times. That's why the pic and story behind it had a major impact on the internet.

Crown Heights was over 20 years ago.... 

 

I didn't say I thought the reaction was justified, I just had to point out the major difference between your example and this situation.

I should certainly hope not...

[Grand Concourse]

@GC: What if it was a hot girl taking a nap on your shoulder?

lol, i'd maybe make an exception there, but if it is my stop, i'm getting off.

[Turbo19]

I suppose the first post in this thread meant jack shit, seeing that some continued with prejudice.

 

Rage on, rage on.

[realizm]

Crown Heights was over 20 years ago.... 

 

I should certainly hope not...

 

It is a significant part of NYC history, take it or leave it.

 

It affected NYC life and politics for the worse, literally turned City Hall upside down! From an incident where a kid of Guyanese descent was struck and killed by an motorcade escorting a man named Menachem Mendel Schneerson, a prominent Hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. It made the racial tensions explode into a violent three days of mayhem. It tarnished Jewish-black relations for years afterwards up to this day.

 

I dont think NYC needs another repeat of this social catostophy. Conscientous NYers from around the world did not forget the hard lessons learned from that time in NYC which made international headlines.

 

The man here in the pic is an Orthodox Jew who is not reactionary to a slumbering black man on a subway train which showed a spirit of human unbiased kindness that you are not seeing here. That's why the pic went viral on the internet with over 1 million likes on Facebook alone with global applause.

 

 

[realizm]

I found this honestly amusing as we have others now recreating the moment as a spoof. When I saw this and read the commentary admittably I lol'ed.
 

 

 

Source: http://gothamist.com/2013/11/14/video_more_straphangers_inspired_to.php

Video: Inspired Straphangers Try Sleeping On Strangers' Shoulders
By Ben Yakas in News on Nov 14, 2013 5:00 PM

You may recall that last week a photo of a black man sleeping against an orthodox Jewish man's shoulder on the subway went wildly viral and renewed some people's faith in humanity or whatever. Charidy was inspired by that photo, and decided to try out their own version of it and see how many people would let a random person sleep on them on the subway. Let's just hope this doesn't become a trend, because c'mon.

But that's not all! George Ferrandi, a Brooklyn-based installation and performance artist, also went around the subway trying to rest her head on the shoulder of strangers. "Many New Yorkers offered me the same gentle comfort that he afforded the sleeping man next to him," she told us. "But it should be said that those folks who would not allow this slightly intimate contact with someone they didn’t know were really just honoring a kind of unspoken social contract we share on the train and in other crowded spaces. New Yorkers must constantly make these unconscious decisions, attempting, I think, to carve out some private space in a city that can be so aggressively public."

Her take on it seems pretty reasonable, and you can read more about her experiment (and see photos) here. Back in the spring, comedian Stuart Edge also tried this subway sleeping thing out, although with less altruistic interests.

[bobtehpanda]

It is a significant part of NYC history, take it or leave it.

 

It affected NYC life and politics for the worse, literally turned City Hall upside down! From an incident where a kid of Guyanese descent was struck and killed by an motorcade escorting a man named Menachem Mendel Schneerson, a prominent Hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. It made the racial tensions explode into a violent three days of mayhem. It tarnished Jewish-black relations for years afterwards up to this day.

 

I dont think NYC needs another repeat of this social catostophy. Conscientous NYers from around the world did not forget the hard lessons learned from that time in NYC which made international headlines.

 

The man here in the pic is an Orthodox Jew who is not reactionary to a slumbering black man on a subway train which showed a spirit of human unbiased kindness that you are not seeing here. That's why the pic went viral on the internet with over 1 million likes on Facebook alone with global applause.

 

 

 

There's an entire generation of kids who grew up after that. If you ask someone born after '91 about Crown Heights, odds are that you'll get a blank stare. In the minds of the kids born in the '90s and '00s, the only riots they would've heard of prior to their birth would be the LA riots. It certainly doesn't affect race relations among the younger set (it may affect the older politicos, but how many of them are relevant these days?)

 

Time heals all wounds.