Rabbi Mendel Zaltzman
CEO & JRCC East Thornhill
416.222.7105 x227
[email protected]
Rabbi Mendel Zaltzman grew up in Thornhill under the careful tutelage of his parents, Rabbi Yoseph and Mrs. Chiena Zaltzman of the JRCC. In their lives he saw dedication and commitment to the Jewish Russian community in the GTA, which had a tremendous impact on his upbringing. He studied in top yeshivas in Israel and New York, which included being tested successfully in Talmud by the former chief rabbi of Israel, and spent several summers volunteering at the JRCC in outreach activities and home visitations. He also participated in a Rabbinical Student Mission delegations to Siberia to run Passover Seders in 2000 and 2001, and to provide education and religious support to isolated Jewish communities, and served as the Jewish Studies Director of a summer program for boys going into yeshiva in Pennsylvania. The following two years were spent as a student mentor with Chabad in Paris, France, where he oversaw student outreach activities with a budget of over $100,000, and later a return trip to Siberia as the leader of the Rabbinical Student Mission delegation.
After completing his rabbinical studies in Lubavitch World Headquarters in New York (a.k.a. “770”), he received rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Y. Y. Yruslavsky, Chairman of the Judicial Court of the Chabad Rabbinical Alliance of Israel and Chief Rabbi of Nachalat Har Chabad. He married and returned to Toronto to dedicate his life to the material and spiritual well being of the community he grew up with — the Jews from the former Soviet Union and their families in Ontario. It is to this mission that he dedicates his life as an emissary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
Since joining the JRCC in 2005, Rabbi Mendel has made several major contributions, including significant improvements to the organizational management and administration, expansion of the publications department, and enhancing the annual Lag BaOmer event resulting in a four-fold increase in attendance.
Following the passing of his dear son, Meir Shlomo obm, Rabbi Mendel and his wife Chanie dedicated two Torah Scrolls in his memory and created a community free loan fund, Gmach Meir Shlomo, in his name.
In 2009 Rabbi Mendel was appointed to the UJA Seniors Task Force, and the community advisory council (CAC) of the Vaughan Community Health Centre (VCHC).
in 2011/12 Rabbi Mendel developed the JRCC Furniture bank, that will serve needy families in all of York region with a state of the art 13,000 square foot facility located in Thornhill (successfully receiving federal and OTF grants for the over 1M renovation).
in 2013 Rabbi Mendel was nominated and received the Queens Diamond Jubilee medal in recognition of his dedication to the community from Minister of the environment, Thornhill MP Peter Kent. Rabbi Mendel was also a founding member and Director of YEDInstitute, Toronto and York region`s newest Startup Accelerator.
in 2014 Rabbi Mendel joined the official delegation of PM Harper on his first trip to Israel.
Currently, Rabbi Mendel serves as CEO of the JRCC of Ontario, working closely with and often representing the Senior Rabbi, Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman. He is also the Rabbi and Director of the JRCC East Thornhill.
Chanie Zaltzman (nee Matusof) was born in Paris in 1983 to the esteemed shluchim Rabbi Reuven Mrs. Zippora Matusof. She was raised in Paris, attended Jewish day school, and grew up in an atmosphere permeated with the ideals of the Rebbe and shlichus with a family completely dedicated to outreach in their community.
In 2001, Chanie attended seminary in Tzfat, Israel. She served as a teacher at a day camp in New Jersey before completing her seminary studies in Crown Heights, New York as well as teaching elementary school. She continued to pursue her teaching career after graduating from seminary in Pacific Palisades, California and in Brooklyn, New York.
After marrying Rabbi Mendel Zaltzman, she continued teaching in New York until the couple moved Toronto in 2005 to work for the JRCC where their first child was born just two weeks after their arrival. Later that year, they took up residence in Thornhill, in order to serve the Russian Jews living in the Yonge and Clarke area, and established the JRCC East Thornhill Branch.
In 2007, Chanie earned her Bachelors of Liberal Arts degree with a focus on Education, and in May 2010 she earned her advanced diploma in Early Childhood Education from S. Lawrence College.
In addition to her role as co-director (with her husband) of the branch, Chanie also serves as a teacher in the JRCC Preschool and Hebrew School, as well as at Ohr Menachem Academy before it closed in 2008. She is also the JRCC’s Media and PR Coordinator, and dedicates her life to her shlichus, organizing community programs, women’s programs and children’s programs in East Thornhill, as well as spreading the wellsprings of Judaism to all she encounters with warmth and compassion.
Rabbi Mendel and Mrs. Chanie Zaltzman live in Thornhill with their children.
