By:JOSEPH KELLARD
Last Saturday, Littman remembered Nussbaum, a victim of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center three Septembers ago, who, in a poster-sized photo before the podium, was seen sitting on a beach, beaming. In an upbeat, celebratory tone, Littman said, Jeff is now grinning ear to ear knowing that his name will be up in two places at his old stomping grounds.
Those grounds were a baseball field at Oceanside High School, where two electronic scoreboards bearing a tribute to Nussbaum were donated to his alma mater by Littman and three other Nussbaum friends, Aileen Brodsky, Mitch Kahn and Jeff Lowitt. Brodsky listened in from Las Vegas via Littman-s cell phone, while representatives of Oceanside schools and members of Nussbaum-s family were in attendance.
They heard Littman recall the journey to raise money for this permanent memorial to Nussbaum-s life, which she said represented everything Jeff stood for. Knowing of his love of baseball the 1982 graduate of OHS played and coached Little League and softball while growing up in Oceanside and with his family still in town, the group came up with the idea of a scoreboard dedication.
Littman and her friends used such terms as easygoing, the life of the party and gentle giant to describe Nussbaum, who stood 6 feet 5. Describing him as a social butterfly who loved to attend parties, they decided to raise money for his memorial through a party fund-raiser.
Littman and Brodsky solicited various Manhattan businesses to donate raffle prizes, and found eager supported for their cause. Nussbaum-s friends held the fund-raiser in January at the Tar Bar & Lounge in Manhattan, a place Jeff frequented, and some 350 supporters attended. The prizes included trips to Las Vegas, gift certificates for five-star city restaurants, and Broadway tickets. In about four hours, $10,000 was raised.
It-s rare at functions like this, but everyone there felt a personal connection to the cause, said Lowitt, who shared a summer home in the Hamptons with Nussbaum.
On each scoreboard, one for the boys- baseball team, the other for girls- softball, the tribute reads: In Memory of Jeffrey Nussbaum (OHS Ô82) and all other victims of September 11, 2001. Donated by Friends and Family.
Said Littman after the unveiling, I hope these scoreboards will bring both teams an extra-special touch when they are playing on their home fields. They have their extra player watching over them.
On hand to accept the donations were Superintendent Dr. Herb Brown, school board members Sue Graham, Bob Transom, Don Maresca, Maryanne Lehrer and Diane O-Connor, and Athletic Director Dave Zawatson. It is with bittersweet emotions that our school community accepts these gifts, said Graham, president of the board. The loss of life, especially a young person-s, is always a great tragedy. The memory and youthful presence of Jeffrey will forever remain within our community, thanks to Ms. Littman, her friends and the Nussbaum family, who will always be a part of us.
At the time of the attacks, Nussbaum, 37, was working on the 92nd floor of the north tower as a senior vice president of foreign currency for Carr Futures Associates. It-s important the people remember him and remember what happened that day, said Kahn, who often played basketball with Nussbaum. We thought it was important to have something lasting here so that kids that grow up here and play on the same fields that Jeff loved playing on will always be able to have the connection with him.
Nussbaum-s mother, Arlene, who still lives in the Oceanside home where Jeff grew up, regards her son-s four friends as her own children. What they-ve done here just shows that Jeff is in their thoughts every day, she said.
Said Jeff-s his brother, Craig, It-s unbelievable what friends can do. To go above and beyond like this for Jeff, I feel it-s heroic. It-s heroic what they-ve done.
