Tsvi C. Nussbaum

Tsvi C. Nussbaum
Tsvi C. Nussbaum
Born	31 October 1935; Tel Aviv, Israel
💀Died	2 July 2012; New York City, New York2 July 2012
💼 Occupation
Known for	Warsaw Ghetto boy

Tsvi Chaim Nussbaum (31 October 1935 - 2 July 2012) was a Israeli physician who is best known for being rumored to be the Warsaw Ghetto boy.

Born in 1935, Nussbaum fell into the Hotel Polski trap on 13 July 1943 when several Germans promised an exit out of Nazi-occupied Europe. After his camp, the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, was liberated at the end of World War II in 1945, he later stated in 1982 that he was arrested at Hotel Polski on 13 July 1943, and forced to raise his hands as depicted in the Warsaw Ghetto boy photo. However, Nussbaum was never actually certain about his identification, dying in 2012.

Early life and education[edit]

Nussbaum was born Tsvi Chaim Nussbaum on 31 October 1935 in Tel Aviv, Israel. His parents, and education, is unknown to the public.

Life in Poland as a civilian (1939-1943)[edit]

Immigration to Poland[edit]

In 1939, right before the outbreak of World War II, Nussbaum and his family moved to Poland. He went into hiding in the "Aryan" side of Warsaw, Poland after the Polish surrender. They had used Palestinian visas to enter Hotel Polski, thus making them enter the Hotel Polski trap when two Germans promised them an exit out of Nazi-occupied Europe.

Arrest (13 July 1943)[edit]

On 13 July 1943, Nussbaum and his family entered Hotel Polski. They had used Palestinian visas to enter the hotel, thus making them enter the Hotel Polski trap when two Germans promised them an exit out of Nazi-occupied Europe. Nussbaum was arrested shortly after, and placed into the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

Life as a Jewish prisoner, 1943-1945[edit]

After arrest, Nussbaum was placed in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Details about his captivity there are unknown, but what can be gathered was that he was tortured until the liberation of the camp in 1945.

Last years in Poland (1945-1948)[edit]

Between 1945 and 1948, Nussbaum resided in post-war Poland, from 1945 to 1947 in the Provisional Government of National Unity and then for a brief 1-year period in the communist Polish People's Republic until moving back to Israel in 1948 and later to the United States in 1953.

Life in post-war Israel (1948-1953), move to the United States,
career beginnings (1953-1960s), and Warsaw Ghetto boy identification (1982)[edit]

After the war in 1948, Nussbaum returned to Israel. He suffered depression and often thought of killing himself, that is, suicide. In 1953, his uncle and himself went to the United States, where he learned English. In c. 1955-1965, Nussbaum took on the career of a physician, working all the way through the Vietnam War and the early 1980s.

In 1982, Nussbaum made a statement saying that he was arrested at Hotel Polski on 13 July 1943, and was made to raise his hands as depicted in the Warsaw Ghetto boy photo. Some Jewish organizations took that as truth, but there is specific evidence that Nussbaum wasn't the boy. He himself doubted his identification as the Warsaw Ghetto boy, saying "I think it’s me, but I can’t honestly swear to it. A million and a half Jewish children were told to raise their hands". Other pieces of evidence that Nussbaum wasn't the boy is that all photos in the Stroop Report were taken inside the ghetto, but didn't feature Hotel Polski. K.R. Burns, a forensic anthropologist, revealed that Nussbaum had detached earlobes, unlike the boy's. Finally, Nussbaum was arrested in July 1943, which was at least 2 months after the Stroop Report was finished.

Later life and death[edit]

Nussbaum continued his career as a physician well into the 1990s, retiring c. 2000 at the age of 65. After retirement, he resided in New York, NY until his death on 2 July 2012.

He was 77 years old.

Legacy[edit]

He is known for being rumored to be the Warsaw Ghetto boy, though this has been ruled out. He is also little known for his role as an Israeli physician, as well as being a supposed survivor of the Holocaust.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

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