Rebbetzin Chiena Zaltzman (nee Lipsh) is a sabra, born in Israel. Her father, hailing from the Radzin Chassidim, spent the war years in Siberia. He arrived in Germany in l947 where he met Lubavitcher Chassidism at a DP camp and enrolled himself in a Lubavitcher Yeshiva. He landed in Israel in l949 and became a follower of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Her mother, also a sabra, was born in Tel Aviv and came from a Lubavitch family. Her parents were from Poland and were almost the only survivors of their family who were not murdered by the Nazis.

Chiena grew up in Kfar Chabad, immersed in a vibrant and energetic environment that lived by the Rebbe’s directives. There were always Shabbat guests that came from kibbutzim all over Israel to experience a Hassidic Shabbat and young adults and teens that came to see the Chassidic way of life.

Chiena and her counterparts were in the forefront of these activities. Every year, Kfar Chabad ran a big Matzah Bakery where they hosted thousands of children who converged on this little town from all over Israel, to see the special round matzhas, shmurah matzas, being baked. Chiena and her friends would act as their guides and hosts and take them through the process. In the same vein, every year on Chanuka, these Lubavitch students would go to orphanages, nursing homes and hospitals all over Israel, to give out Chanuka Menoras and spread the light of the Holiday. On Purim, the students would give out Mishloach Manot, Purim gift baskets, to widows and orphans of wars, and to people in hospitals and nursing homes.

During her high school years, the Rebbe initiated ten Mitzvah campaigns aimed at educating the Jewish public and bringing them closer to their roots. Chiena and her friends took on these campaigns with enthusiasm and energy and reached out to their fellow Jews all over Israel.

In the summer of l973, the Lubavitcher Rebbe asked his Chassidism to gather children in order to learn Torah with them and teach them about Mitzvot and prayer, stating that children’s learning and prayers destroys the enemy. It was a quiet summer in Israel in l973 and the Rebbe’s request puzzling. Nevertheless, rising to the call, Chiena and her friends fanned out all over Israel and gathered children daily to teach and acquaint them with their heritage. That Yom Kippur, war broke out in Israel. After high school, Chiena continued her education in Seminary, where she spent three years and completed a Teachers’ Degree. During this time, Chiena played a major role within the student body, acting as a mentor to many students, studying with many girls, helping them with their learning and guiding them.

After Seminary, Chiena was introduced to her husband and after a short engagement, they were married in Israel. Chiena left her family, close friends, and everything familiar behind and immediately after the wedding, the young, idealistic couple moved to Brooklyn, New York where Rabbi Zaltzman continued his rabbinical studies for another year. Chani, their first child, was born in New York. At this time, the young couple was offered a position to come to Toronto as the Rebbe’s emissaries . Having grown up with the Rebbe’s ideas and ideals and always aspiring to do the Rebbe’s work, it was not a hard decision for the young couple. After receiving the blessings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, their small family moved to Toronto. The year was l980. One can say the rest is history.

When Rabbi and Mrs. Zaltzman first came to Toronto, there were one thousand families from the former Soviet Union. The community now numbers l6,000 familes and the vast majority know they have an address to where they can turn in their times of joy or sorrow. Together, Rabbi and Rebbetzin Zaltzman have built a vibrant, cohesive and close-knit community that embraces both the youth or adults, the infant or seniors.

Chiena has carried the passion for the Rebbe’s directives into her work within the JRCC community, devoting herself to her family and to the community. With a big smile and a bigger heart, she gives selflessly of herself to the people who reach out to her in their time of need. Chiena has created a warm home for their large family of fourteen children, looking not only after her own children, but after the Jewish Russian Community as well. With an open house full of guests, be it Shabbat, Jewish Holidays or during a regular week day, their open home at any given time resembles a kindergarten, hotel or a counseling office, with people dropping by constantly for her wise advice or a hot meal.

Together, Rabbi and Mrs. Zaltzman have married off some of their own children, as well as members of their community, some of whom lived with them, walked down the chuppa with the Rabbi and Rebbetzin on either side and consider the Zaltzmans their adopted parents.

Chiena has taught children of all ages and also heads the Judaic Program in the JRCC Daycare, where an exceptionally warm and loving environment affords the children an opportunity to see the beauty of growing up Jewish, concomitantly benefiting from a rounded, high-caliber learning program. Chiena also gives Judaic classes on a broad range of subjects to the ladies of the community and teaches brides in preparation for their marriage. She has acted as a role model to countless people and has truly inspired them to lead more meaningful lives with Jewish values.

The passage of years has not diminished the beehive activity around the home, with the grandchildren dropping in and the number of Jews getting affiliated with the community growing.

When asked about her goals for the future, Chiena answers: “ to prepare ourselves and our surroundings to greet Mashiach NOW!”