The Awareness Center is the Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault (JCASA)

If you find this site helpful, please consider becoming a financial sponsor

Case of Rabbi Heshi Nussbaum

(AKA: Heshy Nussbaum)

Camp Counselor - Camp Mogen Avrahom, New York

Toronto Boys School Choir, Toronto, Canada

NCSY - Winnepeg, Canada

Teacher - Eitz Chaim Boys School, Toronto, Canada

Camp Counselor - Camp Agudah, Toronto, Canada

This site is dedicated to the memory of David Reichman who died at 34.

Allegations of sexually abusing boys for several years who were under his care.

Networking and Self-Help Groups for the Awareness Center This link will bring you to a list of different mailing lists offered by The Awareness Center. We offers several different email groups,which include our general mailing list, press-releases, Jewish survivors of childhood sexual abuse, Jewish Survivors of Clergy Abuse (by Rabbis and Cantors), Parents of children who were molested, Family members of sex offenders, etc.

Table of Contents:  

1. Case of Rabbi Heshi Nussbaum and the Toronto Boys School Choir  (09/05/2006)

Also see:  

1. Case of Rabbi Yaakov Weiner

2. Case of Rabbi Ephraim Bryks

3. The Awareness Center's Brochure  

4. Rabbis, Cantors and Other Trusted Officials

5. Offenders: Problems Our Parents Wouldn't Speak Of

6. Recidivism of Sex Offenders  (U.S. Department of Justice: Center for Sex Offender Management)

(Top)

Jewish Survivors of Sexual Violence Speaks Out - September 5, 2006

http://jewishsurvivors.blogspot.com/2006/09/case-of-rabbi-heshy-nussbaum-and.html

This is an old case that goes back several decades.

By the mid 1980's Rabbi Heshi Nussbaum had been exposed as a pedophile in Toronto, Canada. At that time his wife divorced him. It was around the same time that Rabbi Ephraim Bryks brought him into Winnipeg (Canada) to help run a NCSY shabbaton. Several women in the community found out that Heshi was divorced and approached Bryks' wife Yochevad offering to set up dates for Heshy while he was in Winnipeg. Yochevad told these women that "she was aware of the reasons for Heshy's divorce and it would not be appropriate to set him up on dates with women."

It is believed that Heshi was raised in Toronto. He worked around the late 1980's or early 1970's in several camps in New York. One of which was Camp Mogen Avrahom in New York. This was the first location where allegations of child sexual abuse were made.

After that he returned to Toronto (early to mid 1970's) and became choirmaster of the Toronto Boys choir (a Jewish boys choir). Heshy might have also worked as a teacher at the Eitz Chaim boys school and Camp Agudah summer camp (both were founded by his family), yet this has not been confirmed.

A source has told me that a rabbi in the US had warned the rabbis in Toronto that Heshi should not be working with kids, yet the warnings were ignored.

Apparently, when Heshy was caught in Toronto, major rabbonim in North America (don't know names) were approached for assistance and he was removed. His reputation became common knowledge in Toronto.

My source told me that Rabbi Heshi Nussbaum was from a very prominent family who quieted things up and that he had been sent to an institution where they send priests caught doing the same thing, and that afterwards his family declared him cured.

It is unknown to what extent or whether the police/child family services were involved. There are rumors that he may have made a deal to avoid jail, yet this has not been confirmed.

There are also rumors that a number of young boys who had contact with Rabbi Heshi Nussbaum committed suicide. Unfortunately, suicide and attempted suicides are not uncommon for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

As of 2003, Heshy worked as a Mashgiach and spends three to for days a week at a farm outside the city supervising Halav Yisroel milk production (not sure if this is for COR, MK or another). He also delivers flowers for weddings although there are at times specific requests that someone else delivers them.

A source told me that Rabbi Heshy Nussbaum also continues to tutor students, and also travels to Israel on a regular basis.

At this time there it is believed there are no newspaper articles that covered this case. Heshy's father Rabbi Moshe Nussbaum, was one of the founders of the Agudah movement in Toronto, and of Agudath Israel Congregation. He was also an active member on the Vaad Hapoel Agudath Israel, the governing body of the International Agudah organization. He was also active in Eitz Chaim schools, and was a found of Bais Yaakov High School. In addition, he helped found Camp Agudah in Port Carling, and Perspectives, the newspaper of Toronto Agudah.

If you are a survivor of Rabbi Heshy Nussbaum please contact The Awareness Center, Inc. at 443-857-5560

(Top)

Some of the information on The Awareness Center's web pages may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.

We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml . If you wish to use copyrighted material from this update for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

(Top)

Last Updated:  09/05/2006

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

--Margaret Mead

(Top)