THE indomitable Peter Freitag, at 81 still a Darlington borough councillor and chairman of the town’s Hebrew congregation, comes up with a 21st century twist on the story of the Good Samaritan. This time the “Samaritan” was a Buddhist monk.

Peter’s son Matthew wanted to be a pilot in the US. Flying start, first he needed a guarantor – someone, as his dad puts it, who’d stand by him if he became ill, broke or impregnated a young lady.

Peter approached a cousin in America. Metaphorically, at any rate, he passed by on the other side.

Instead Matthew came across Huy Tran, a Vietnamese businessman who became a monk 16 years ago. He had his guarantor.

Lee, his son, has been staying with the Freitags in Darlington. “My dad saw that Matthew was driven to be a pilot. He likes to help people who are driven,” says Lee.

Huy goes on retreat six months a year. “First he ensures that his children are all right,” says Lee.

Peter declines to say – not for print, anyway – what he makes of the cousin who so effortlessly updated the parable. “I just think the gesture, a Buddhist to a Jew, is fantastic. It’s something for which I’ll be eternally grateful, the sort of thing you never forget.”

Matthew Freitag is now a fullyfledged air ambulance pilot in the US.