The 2 Albums the Rebbe Asked Cantor Zaltzman to Record

When Chazan Berel Zaltzman told the Rebbe he could not afford to record a music album, the response he received led to an unexpected $5,000 loan.

By COLlive reporter

When Chazan Rabbi Berel Zaltzman passed away Monday night, the eve of 8 Tammuz, at age 91, the Jewish world lost one of the most recognizable voices to emerge from Soviet Jewry.

Born in 1936 in the Soviet Union into a family known for cantorial tradition and music, R’ Berel’s talent became evident from a young age. As he grew older, he became known in Soviet public life as a popular and classical singer on the radio.

But while audiences knew him as a performer, his deepest commitment remained to preserving Jewish life behind the Iron Curtain.

For fourteen years, R’ Berel served as chazan in underground shuls, where his tefillos and traditional nusach inspired and reconnected many young Jews to their heritage during years of religious repression.

In his final years in the Soviet Union, he became chief chazan of a major city’s synagogue and was later invited to serve in the same role in Moscow’s Great Synagogue. He declined, fearing the appointment would complicate his efforts to leave for Eretz Yisroel.

After years of struggle, he emigrated in 1971 together with his wife and six children. Only 6 weeks later, on Erev Rosh Hashana, he arrived in Crown Heights.

When the Rebbe encountered R’ Berel’s young son, Yosef Yitzchak, and heard the family name, the Rebbe immediately asked: “The Shliach Tzibur?” The Rebbe instructed that R’ Berel serve as chazan for Mussaf in the main shul at 770 Eastern Parkway.

R’ Berel hesitated. Having arrived from Russia only six weeks earlier, he felt uncomfortable taking the place of the regular chazan, Rabbi Yosef Wineberg. But Rabbi Wineberg encouraged him to accept.

Before davening, R’ Berel turned to the Mashpia Reb Mendel Futerfas and expressed that he did not feel worthy of the honor. Reb Mendel encouraged him to do it for the Rebbe, explaining that hearing a chossid newly arrived from Russia sing the nusach passed down from his father would bring the Rebbe tremendous nachas.

Family members later recalled that R’ Berel was initially nervous and found it difficult to raise his voice. After davening, Reb Mendel told him that the Rebbe’s affection and appreciation could clearly be seen as he listened.

“Driving Me Crazy”

The following year, R’ Berel was invited to lead the davening for Rosh Hashana at the Lubavitcher Center in Philadelphia under the leadership of the Shliach Rabbi Avraham Shemtov, and he accepted.

But during Yom Tov, his son later recalled, R’ Berel felt deep regret over not being with the Rebbe in 770.

As soon as Yom Tov ended, he and Rabbi Shemtov immediately set out for New York and arrived while Kos Shel Bracha was still taking place.

When R’ Berel passed before the Rebbe, the Rebbe remarked, “You were here today, weren’t you,” acknowledging his strong desire to spend Rosh Hashana near the Rebbe.

Then the Rebbe turned the moment into something more. The Rebbe instructed R’ Berel to lead the singing and directed him through one niggun after another.

That moment became part of a broader role R’ Berel would later play in bringing Jewish music to communities around the world.

At the Rebbe’s instruction, concert tours were later organized through Rabbi JJ Hecht, introducing Jewish music and traditional chazzanus to audiences across North America and beyond.

At one point, when the schedule of performances became especially demanding, Rabbi Hecht wrote humorously to the Rebbe that “R’ Berel is driving me crazy.” The Rebbe circled the words and drew an arrow back toward Rabbi Hecht himself.

When Rabbi Hecht later saw R’ Berel, he embraced him warmly and joked, “You can drive me crazy as much as you want.”

Special Albums

The Rebbe also encouraged R’ Berel to record his singing and preserve the melodies he carried out from behind the Iron Curtain. Despite difficult financial circumstances, R’ Berel released his first album in 1972, A Voice From Behind the Iron Curtain, featuring nine songs.

It was said that this album was played in the Rebbe’s house at 1304 President Street for the enjoyment of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson.

Before recording the second album, R’ Berel delayed the project because he simply did not have the money needed to begin.

When the Rebbe later asked whether he had started recording and heard that finances were holding him back, the Rebbe responded sharply: “Under Stalin, you found ways to get things done. Here you can’t?”

Before one Shabbos, R’ Berel was deeply distressed that he still had no way to fulfill the Rebbe’s instruction. Seeing his concern, his neighbor, R’ Psachya Lipsker, asked what was troubling him.

After hearing that the recording could not move forward because of the required deposit, R’ Psachya answered immediately: “Come to my house after Shabbos and I’ll give you the money for the deposit.”

After Shabbos, R’ Berel arrived and R’ Psachya handed him a $5,000 loan, the amount needed to begin production. R’ Berel related in a JEM interview that the next day after he called to arrange the studio to record, he immediately received a significant increase in business at his dry cleaning shop and saw unexpected success in parnassah.

Only later did R’ Berel discover that R’ Psachya himself had not actually had the money available at the time. After hearing that the Rebbe had instructed R’ Berel to record his music, he borrowed the funds from someone else so the project could move ahead.

For the family, the episode remained a lasting example of the Chassidic approach that when the Rebbe gives a directive, the path to carrying it out will ultimately open. The second album, A Voice From Behind the Iron Curtain Vol. 2, was released in 1977 with ten recordings.

Back to Russia

Years later, his mission expanded beyond performance.

In 1980, R’ Berel moved to the United States as a shliach dedicated to helping build Russian Jewish life and strengthening newly arrived immigrants. First in Los Angeles and later in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, he combined concerts, davening, and outreach to help reconnect Russian-speaking Jews with their heritage.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, his music returned to where the story had begun.

At the Rebbe’s instruction, R’ Berel joined Chanukah tours across the former USSR together with California’s Head Shliach Rabbi Boruch Shlomo Cunin, singer Mordechai Ben David and others, bringing Jewish music and celebration to communities emerging from decades of repression.

VIDEO: Rabbi Cunin speaks with Igor, a participant in that concert

In later years, R’ Berel continued to perform, lead tefillos, record music, and use his talent to strengthen Jewish identity among Russian-speaking communities.

His voice, first heard quietly in underground Soviet shuls and later in 770, concert halls, and communities around the world, became closely associated with preserving and sharing the traditions he had received.

Listen to Cantor Zaltzman on 24Six

Cantor Zaltzman sings at the 1991 International Kinus Hashluchim in New York

Cantor Zaltzman sings at California’s Chabad Telethon in 1992

Cantor Zaltzman sings a little-known composition about saying l’chaim at a farbrengen at 770

Cantor Zaltzman and his brother Rabbi Hillel Zalzman lead a farbrengen at 770

Never Miss a Headline!

Sign up for the COLlive Daily News Roundup and never miss a story

Opt In

• I would like to receive the collive newsletter

Follow Us!