Yosef Yitzchak Zaltzman

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Zaltzman (born 5716, 1956) is the Rebbe's shliach and rabbi of the Russian Jewish community in Toronto, Canada.

Life History edit

Born in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on 30 Shevat 5716, to his parents R' Chaim Dov Ber (Berel) and Chaya Esther Zaltzman. His parents lived in this town for livelihood purposes, but in 5717 they returned to live in the Chabad community that had formed in Samarkand.

During his childhood years, under his parents' instructions, he avoided attending public school and was educated at home. To prevent neighbors from informing on them, he did not leave his parents' home throughout his childhood years, and was even given a secular name "Siberis" (meaning Joseph son of Berel).

In 5724, several Tmimim arrived from Tashkent and established a secret branch of Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim in the city.

In 5731, his family received exit permits from the Soviet Union, and on 14 Menachem Av they arrived in the Holy Land. With the beginning of the school year, he entered to study at Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim in Lod.

Towards the month of holidays, he traveled with his father to our holy court [770], and together with the rest of the group of immigrants from Russia, merited rare expressions of closeness from the Rebbe, including standing on the Rebbe's platform during the shofar blowing.

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Zaltzman at a Tefillin campaign near the Mitzvah Tank in Toronto

After the holiday month, with the Rebbe's consent, he remained to study in the Tomchei Tmimim yeshivas near the Rebbe's court, initially at the yeshiva branch in Morristown, and later in Crown Heights. He continued studying in the Rebbe's court until his wedding in 5740 to Mrs. Chayena, daughter of Rabbi Elazar Lipsh from Kfar Chabad, when he entered to study in the Kollel Avrechim at the Rebbe's secretariat.

While studying in Kollel, he began to take interest in the Rebbe's instruction regarding various shlichus proposals. After reporting to the Rebbe about Rabbi Zalman Aharon Grossbaum's proposal and receiving the Rebbe's consent, which preferred the Toronto proposal over a shlichus offer in Florida, he merited to go on the Rebbe's shlichus on Zos Chanukah of 5741 to Toronto, Canada, to work with the local Russian Jewish community.

In the early years of his activities, he operated as a branch under the central Chabad House in the city, but as the activities expanded, in 5746 he purchased land for the Chabad House, and on 19 Menachem Av 5747, the inauguration ceremony was held.

With the fall of the Iron Curtain, thousands of Jews from Russia settled in Toronto and its suburbs, reaching about 50,000. The activities of the Chabad House for Russian Jews expanded accordingly, and over the years about 12 branches were opened where shluchim operate dedicated to the Russian Jewish community exclusively.

The activities are now centered under the Jewish Russian Community Center institution known as JRCC, which operates about eight different branches throughout Toronto, with the latest one opened before Rosh Hashanah 5780.

Rabbi Zaltzman has close connections with government officials and business people from the top decile.

He joined the rabbis who signed the psak din that the Rebbe is Melech HaMoshiach.

His Family edit

His daughter, Mrs. Chana - wife of Rabbi Chaim Aryeh Leib Hildesheim.
His son, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Zaltzman (son-in-law of Rabbi Reuven Matusof).
His son, Rabbi Shneur Zalman Zaltzman (son-in-law of Rabbi Reuven Matusof).
His son, Rabbi Avraham Zaltzman (son-in-law of Rabbi Shneur Zalman Liberow).
His daughter, Mrs. Bracha - wife of Rabbi Baruch Yehuda Segal Landau.
His daughter, Mrs. Feiga - wife of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Dov Yuzevitch.
His son, Rabbi Yehuda Zaltzman (son-in-law of Rabbi Shalom Mordechai Rubashkin).
His son, Rabbi Levi Zaltzman (son-in-law of Rabbi Shimon Reitchik).
His daughter, Mrs. Mushka - wife of Rabbi Levi Yosef Yitzchak HaCohen Bloy.
His son, Rabbi Yisroel Aryeh Leib Zaltzman (son-in-law of Rabbi Nissan David Dubov).
His daughter, Mrs. Rachel - wife of Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Yuzevitch.
His son, Meir Shlomo Zaltzman (son-in-law of Rabbi Gershon Overlander).
His son, Shmuel Zaltzman (son-in-law Rabbi Berel Lazar).
His daughter, Mrs. Bas-Sheva - wife of Rabbi Menachem Mendel HaCohen Radal.

External Links edit

The Shlichus in Toronto - A collection of holy responses regarding the shlichus in the city, included in a wedding memento
Days of His Youth - Audio interview by his nephew R' David Keitock in a "podcast"
Face to Face, in the Hatamim supplement, Issue 39 - Adar Rishon 5776/2016 page 84
The Child Who Was Required to Disappear, interview in 'My Story' issue, 358 Erev Pesach 5782/2022
"Schneersohnski Does Not Change!" • Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Zaltzman