Toronto, Canada – A Windsor cardiologist is suing a Toronto matchmaker for failing to find him a suitable mate.
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Dr. Shoel Rosenhek has spent 22 days in small claims court trying to recoup the $10,000 retainer he paid matchmaker Heidi Gottlieb in 2006.
Court heard Rosenhek was specific in his criteria of a “suitable mate” — she had to be Jewish, a well-educated professional, never married and childless.
But Gottlieb — a social worker who, in addition to running a matchmaking service, works as a private therapist, said Rosenhek was such a difficult client she had to terminate their professional relationship three months into the contract. Rosenhek contends Gottlieb “dropped off the radar screen” two weeks into the contract, never returning his phone calls.
“She introduced me to only two individuals,” Rosenhek told the court.
Rosenhek said one of the women was “dismissive” in a 15-minute phone conversation he had with her and expressed no interest in hearing from him again.
In a short phone conversation lasting three or four minutes, a second woman expressed her disgust for medical science and told Rosenhek she doesn’t trust doctors.
“I’m a cardiologist!” Rosenhek said. “What compatibility could there be?”
Gottlieb presented the court with a list of 20 women she said she had proposed to Rosenhek as “prospective mates,” but Rosenhek failed to contact the women, losing their phone numbers or saying they didn’t meet his criteria.
Gottlieb said she felt uncomfortable approaching women about Rosenhek and then hearing complaints from them that Rosenhek had never bothered to call.
Rosenhek said he learned of Gottlieb after his brother forwarded him an e-mail advertisement about one of her singles events. Rosenhek paid to attend a 2006 Sunday brunch in Toronto Gottlieb organized. Gottlieb’s website advertises such social functions as Dr. Heidi’s Events for Serious-Minded Jewish Singles.
Both Rosenhek and Gottlieb are representing themselves in the case.
Deputy judge William Salem, who began hearing testimony in January 2009, lamented Tuesday that the case could drag on “for the rest of our lives.”
As Gottlieb lobbed repetitive questions at Rosenhek Tuesday, the doctor grew increasingly snarky. They would cut each other off, causing the judge to admonish them time and time again.
“This is a court of law, not a boxing ring.”
Rosenhek is no stranger to the judicial system. Rosenhek successfully sued Windsor Regional Hospital in 2007 for revoking his privileges. In a case both Rosenhek and the hospital pursued for 20 years, a $3-million award was upheld by the Ontario Court of Appeal this year. Rosenhek had originally been seeking $6.7 million in damages.
While his hospital privileges were restored, Rosenhek lost them again last year after numerous complaints about his “disruptive behaviour,” Windsor Regional’s board said. The board said Rosenhek yelled at nurses and would throw charts.
Rosenhek appealed the hospital’s decision to the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board and lost his case.
He says he will continue his appeal in the courts.
Even without privileges, Rosenhek still runs a private practice.
so a cardiologist with a his own heart problems what else is new.
sounds like a nut case
Dr. Rosenhek is right. There are so many ‘matchmakers’ who are full of Baloney and just want to make money. Since they treat this as a business, they should be treated the same. Just as in the Business world you can be sued if you don’t deliver on your promise, the same should apply to these fakers!
Isn’t that moral equivalency?
Es felt nisht mishigoooooim oif der velt!!
sounds like an ideal match. I cannot see why he would have trouble finding someone to marry him
a cardiologist with a 3plus million dollar bank account can’t get a date on his own. forget going to a matchmaker try going to a miracle worker!!!
There goes the whole Shidduch system
I don’t understand why this article is even here. Simple personal gossip.
Ms. Heidi Gottlieb was my professor in college!
I wonder why no one wants to marry him…!!
Shidduch CRISIS!
Match makers that make you pay $10,000 are apekores charlatans. They are exploiting vulnerable people who are trying to fulfill the ultimate mitzvah of marriage and creating a Jewish family. But also, The fact that this guy is an older intelligent DOCTOR with money but still can’t find a Jewish American Princess or any other typical Jewish woman who would forget his bold spot for all his money, only shows that he is a socially awkward individual that was meant to be smart but lonely. Maybe he needs to find a Jewish entomologist or an anthropologist? The ones I know are all smart but are single with cats, socially awkward, and crazy too. We call them Yenta Dr.s in my university.
It’s called “single for a reason.”
How long does it take a cardiologist to earn 10,000? How much is this guy going to lose out because he chooses to sit in court instead? doesn’t sound like the brightest crayon in the box, but with a pathological problem. Some people need to look in the mirror and recognize they are the problem.
Apparently the shadchan understood — and fulfilled her obligation in the contract by attempting to set him up, but realized neither can she sell a bad bill of goods to the women who trust her…
Those women knew he was a doctor before he called. Perhaps he said something that really turned them off in the initial conversation to the extent they didn’t even want to meet him so gave that doctor excuse…
Some people need to look in the mirror and recognize they are the problem…
$10,000 upfront retainer without guaranteeing results seems excessive. Sounds like the doctor made a bad business deal.
According to the good doctors logic. If one his patients die the patient estate can sue the doctor and demand a 100% refund plus damages.
If this gottlieb is single maybe she would be a good shiduch for the cordiologist
Id pay $10,000 to get a divorce from that guy! What a jerk! Who would want to live with him???? Imagine this……… his dinner burns….ya think he’d drag me into court? Scary huh?
Now if only the respected cardiologist had not skipped the mental health courses in med school, he might have invested a little in some therapy, could have overcome his playground traumas, and would not have needed to act out his fantasies of beating back the bully who exploited the nerds-in the courtroom! It might have left him happier…. But what excuse can we make for the poor Dr heidi, stridently representing herself in a crazy courtroom battle.
Well, it sounds like the good doctor is probably going to spend a lot more time single, regardless of what any shadchan does or tries to do. That said, $10k is an awful lot of money to take from someone to fix him up on dates… If he asked my advice (and, in fairness, he hasn’t), I’d tell him to forget shadchans, get himself a therapist and work out his issues, and then try to meet someone on his own…
based on the facts….it is clear to me…a financial professional…that……
this guy should rent instead of purchasing…..(real estate comparision aside)
(gut gesucht???)
Lost Cause and definetly too many words being written about narishkeit. It is obvious that the Dr. is a few bricks short of a full load!
I like # 21’s comment…yes I had the same thought. Not knowing either of the parties involved…I will use the old expression that there are three sides to every story…in this case his side, her side and then the truth. And to those that say $10,000 is excessive for this service I agree.
Ironic that he fixes broken hearts.
This is the best publicity for him. I’m sure plenty of Yentas will now approach him with, “Oy, have I got a girl for you!”
Isn’t it amazing that while most readers are in the US they talk more freely about this fellow than if he was living amongst them. All kinds of wild words like jerk are used. People: a jew in Toronto is still a jew.
Look up Rosenhek on CANLII and you will see that he is known as a serial suer with a long list of people he has sued. He makes their life so miserable that they are forced to settle with him to end the harrassment.
Do you know that he has been fired from at least 3 hospitals and had his hospital privileges suspended? Look on the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario website and you will see that he has been up on disciplinary charges and there are additional disciplinary hearings scheduled against him.
Look him up on RateMDs.com…….All of this tells you what this character is like. Speaking of hearts, our hearts go out to the poor matchmaker. It sounds like she tried her best without really knowing who this guy was. She got burned like so many before her.
Just like lawyers, many matchmakers take a retainer for their services and then bill for their hourly work. This is most probably what this matchmaker did. She probably tried to give this crazy guy some of his money back if she didn’t want to work with him anymore but this crazy guy wouldn’t take it. He prefers to sue people instead! It is his full-time job in case you haven’t figured that out yet.
I have given lawyers retainers up front who billed me at an hourly rate, as well as accountants. I also had a matchmaker who had the same policy. I had no problem with this. It is professional and proper.
I agree with #46 and #47 . I also have personal knowledge of four other professionals who were hired by Rosenhek. Same story and same results. This matchmaker probably charged by the hour and I’ll bet also tried to give him back his money but he refused to accept it, instead choosing to sue her and try to ruin her good reputation. This is his M.O. (Modus Operandi); how he operates. It is obvious that he just does not want to pay for services provided to him. The other professionals whom I know are all hard working, decent, honest individuals who did the work for Rosenhek and then found themselves at the receiving end of a lawsuit and really bad publicity that Rosenhek initiated. This is what he does to get out of paying for anything. He gets a free ride PLUS additional money. This is how he makes HIS living. He certainly doesn’t make a living from his work at hospitals; they have all fired him.
This is a caution for all of us. Be VERY CAREFUL who you allow yourself to get involved with PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY.
Comments #45 through #48 say it best. Look out, matchmakers. Look out, ladies. Look out in general…professionally, personally and socially.
The sad fact is that there are many Rosenhek types out there and we get taken in by them. They have different faces and different names but same scheme to get out of paying professionals for services. Can you imagine how this character would treat a potential date….or should I say MIStreat a potential date. It is scary.
I saw this guy’s photo and a long-winded description of himself and what he is looking for on a couple of free non-Jewish dating websites. He is obviously not serious about finding a Jewish woman and he is obviously not into paying professionals like matchmakers for their services. I feel sorry for the matchmaker and I feel sorry for any women who he has met; I am sure it was a terribly unpleasant experience for all of these women, to say the least. Sad.