Rabbi Akiva Wagner, the beloved rosh yeshiva and Gadol of Toronto Yeshiva, who dedicated his life to the yeshiva and its bochurim, passed away on Monday, 17 Iyar, 5783.

He had just celebrated his 55th birthday the day before and left thousands of Talmidim grieving his loss.

Born in Toronto, Canada, on 16 Iyar, 5728 to Rabbi Refoel Menachem Nochum and Batya Wagner, Akivah was born into a family that was ingrained with a love of Torah. His father was a respected talmid chochom, and his mother was the daughter of Harav Dov Yehuda Schochet, a distinguished rov in the Toronto community.

As a young bochur, Akiva learned in Litvishe yeshivos, was niskarev to Chabad by his Schochet uncles, and began studying in Oholei Torah in Crown Heights.

In 5749, he was sent on bochur shlichus to Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon Chabad in Los Angeles, under the leadership of his uncle Harav Ezra Schochet After completing his shlichus there, he returned to New York to study in the Central Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim in 770.

A number of years after his marriage, he founded the Lubavitch Yeshiva of Toronto, and he began to serve as its rosh yeshiva.

Over the next decades, Rabbi Wagner fully dedicated himself to the success of the yeshiva and each of the bochurim, showing a genuine example of the love of Torah and a fire of Chassidus

Even after a horrible illness was discovered, Rabbi Wagner invested every moment and drop of energy he had to continue building the yeshiva, delivering shiurim and leading farbrengens whenever he was able.

He is survived by his mother, Mrs. Batya Wagner, his wife, Mrs. Rochie Wagner, and their children Rabbi Yitzchok Wagner – Richmond, CA; Itty Leiberman – Toronto; Rabbi Mendy Wagner – Toronto; Menachem, Yisrolik, Mushkie, Dovi, Nossi, Goldie, Shmuli, Levi, and Avremi.

He is also survived by his siblings, Mrs. Adina Jacobson – Yerushalayim; Rabbi Meir Wagner – Toronto; Mrs. Elisheva Lopian – Los Angeles, CA; Mrs. Shula Isaacs, – Toronto; Rabbi Noam Wagner – South Africa; Rabbi Dov Wagner – Los Angeles, CA; Rabbi Yaakov Wagner – Morristown, NJ; Rabbi Yitzchok Wagner – Lakewood, NJ; Rabbi Avromi Wagner – Lakewood, NJ; Mrs. Bracha Back – Lakewood, NJ.

A special emergency fund was established to help his wife and 12 children through this painful time. Please donate and help the family continue on his legacy.

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