By Henya Laine
On Ches Tammuz, June 28th was the first Yartzheit of Rabbi Zalman Kazen’s , a most modest, frielicher, and emeser chossid. He hated publicity or honor, but he certainly deserved it.
Rabbi Kazen was zoche to see the Frierdike Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneerson as a young boy of 8 years old. The Rebbe blessed him to grow up to be an Erlicher Chosid, which he truly exemplified.
When he left Russia, Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson traveled with his family as their grandmother to freedom. The passport was arranged by his mother, the legendary Mumme Sara Katzenellenbogen.
In Paris, Rabbi Kazen worked tirelessly in raising funds for the newly established Bais Rivka School. At the same time he would find young Zionist Chalutzim waiting to go to Israel and speak to them about the beauty of keeping Mitzvos.
Upon his arrival to the United States, Rabbi Kazen and his family settled in Cleveland, Ohio where he served as Shochet, Rav, Chazan and Mashpia to hundreds of people.
With the influx of Russians to Cleveland he tirelessly devoted his time to bring them to Zemach Zedek Shul, where he patiently tought them about their rich heritage. He also, found work and housing for the newly arrived immigrants.
Since he was a shochet he would offer them free chickens so they would eat Kosher.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe asked Rabbi Kazen, at one of the many Yechidus, when he planed to travel back to Cleveland. When Rabbi Kazen responded, today, the Rebbe asked him to stay on.
Rabbi Chadakov told him that the Rebbe was on his way to Gan Yisrael Overnight Camp, and wanted Rabbi Kazen to join him, which of course he did.
Just a small incident that will show you Rabbi Kazens warm and caring character. When he was a shochet, he worked from 5AM to 7PM. One evening when the clock struck 7PM all the workers ran out but Rabbi Kazen stayed on to feed the chickens.
One of the workers saw him and yelled “Hey Rabbi, tomorrow you will shecht them – save your money.” Rabbi Kazen responded calmly. “Tomorrow I will Shecht them but today not to feed them is TZAR BAALEI CHAYIM and he proceeded to feed them.
Whenever he had a spare moment you always saw Rabbi Kazen with a Sefer learning and humming a Freilichen Niggen.
He treated everyone as family and always sent in a monetary gift to every invitation he received in the mail. For himself Rabbi Kazen needed nothing. He was satisfied with very little, but for another fellow Jew he would give his shirt of his back.
Rabbi Kazen was married 71 years to Rebbetzin Shula Kazen and had six daughters and one son. All his children and most of his grandchildren and great grandchildren are shluchim in the four corners of the world.
His only son Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Kazen obm is the founder of Chabad.org.
The Zemach Zedek community in Cleveland is writing a Sefer Torah in his memory and would love for all to participate.
Please click on the here to participate.
‘Was a Tzaddik.
Zaidy i miss u, u were my great granfather, but i felt that u were my tati! I love u zaidy, i miss u! Pls Pls Pls, i know u r very close to Hashem, so just daven.daven for all of us, daven to hasem to bring Moshiach.we miss u, we wanna see u zaidy. Im sure that ur davanenen, davenen of a tzadik will be listen.
We all love u, we all miss u.
Ill never forget ur smile from the last day i visited u..!
Thanks zaidy for everything.love, an ur einiklech from the kazen family
BS”D Good Yom Tov! I need to share that I had the schkus to sit at the same table as Rabbi Kazel, zt”l, at Rabbi Shain’s Shul. I know this isn’t much, to the thousands who knew him in Cleveland or Europe, but I can honestly say that he had a deep, great, long-lasting impact on my life to deepen my connections to Yiddishkeit and our Rebbe. Further, I can stae unequivocally that anyone who came into contact with him at any time, would come away imbued with a spirit of emunah and bitachon and true unmitigated joy I can… Read more »
soo honored to be a grandchild of this amazing couple!
Zaidy always smiled and was sooo happy and kind- we miss him 🙁
we need Moshiach now
Thank you for everything you taught us each Time we saw you you were holding à sefer singing zeidy we lové you And miss you
Your great grandchildren from Paris we hope to make you proud
zaidy, we will never forget everythig you did for us, your smiles, your teaching, your simcha, you are the true exemple .
He would bring people to shul to complete the minyonim.
I met Rabbi Kazen a few years ago visiting New York from South Africa. He knew I spoke English and wasn’t fluent in Yiddish so always spoke English when I was there. He knew the entire Tanya by heart and from over 50 years of leining the entire Torah. He made a huge impression on me and I will always remember him smiling or singing a Niggun.
We had such a meaningful gathering for Zaidys first yortzait.
One of the grandchildren shared a personal story about Zaidy Zalman.
When he was a young boy he left shul to play after the Amida prayer. Because he didn’t come in for KEDUSHA Zaidy gave him the one and only Smack anyone ever received form Zaidy. He was so upset because the grandchild MISSED A KEDUSHA.
Zaidy ALWAYS prayed with a MINYON.
we are so zoche to have such a grandfather. only good memories. zeidy pray for us and bring moshiach now !!
I can’t believe it is already a year. I have such fond memories of Rabbi Kazen and his Rebetzin.
They fed me and counseled me and made me into a MENCH.
May G-D bless Rebetzin Kazen
I traveled with Rabbi Kazen and want you all to know that he knew the entire davening and tehillim by heart. I actually heard him recite it while driving his pick up truck. What an onov.
I am Still Crying for our loss. Rabbi, Daven up there and bring Moshiach
I remember Rabbi Kazens warm smile and his inspiring about my family. He really cared about everyone as though they were his own. What a loss.
What a zchus to have a family of shluchim he was such a varemer and kind Chossid.
you forgot to mention that he is the “shver dbei nsia” he had the privlige of being the father in law of Rabbi Moshe Kotlarksy SHLITA, who works tirelessly on behalf of all the shluchim around the world without demanding anything in return. He constantly inspires shluchim to enhance their Chabad Centers through his example