Editing Avraham Zaltzman (section)

== Life History ==
Born in Smorgon on Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan 5660 to his father R' DovBer Zaltzman and mother Mrs. Sheina. His family had many children, and he had ten siblings.

Following the influence of the Shadar R' Tuvia Shkolnik, he was sent at age eleven to learn in Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch, and during his years studying in the yeshiva, he merited to sleep for a certain period in the home of [[the Rebbe Maharash]].

When he reached marriage age, he married in 5685 (1925) Bracha, the younger sister of the Mashpia R' Avraham Baruch Pevzner from Minsk. When they asked [[The Rebbe Rayatz|the Frierdiker Rebbe]] about the shidduch, the Frierdiker Rebbe remarked about him: "Avrahaml Smorgoner? Nu... he is a pnimi!"

After his wedding, he learned about a town in Siberia where the shochet had passed away and they had no ability to shecht chickens. For this purpose, he traveled to learn shechita from his brother-in-law Baruch Duchman, and on his way to the town of Cherepovets he had a yechidus with the Frierdiker Rebbe, who instructed him to receive kabbalah for shechita both from the Chassidic Rav of Leningrad Rabbi Shimon Lazarov and from Rabbi Dovid Tevil Katzenellenbogen, the "misnagdish" Rav of the city<ref>Even though during that period he disagreed with the Rebbe Rayatz regarding the assembly of rabbis, the Rebbe Rayatz said that one should receive "kabbalah" (tradition/teaching) from him since he was a G-d-fearing Jew.</ref>, and also blessed him to have children.

Due to persecution by the KGB, he was forced to flee to Kharkov in Ukraine, where he managed a kosher restaurant.

In 5691 (1931) he changed professions to become a photographer, and in 5701 (1941) he fled with his family to Samarkand following the German invasion of Russia during [[World War II]].