With profound sorrow, the FREE organization mourns the untimely passing of Rabbi Schneur Zalman HaLevi Shagalov, of blessed memory.
Reb Zalman was a devoted activist who committed himself to strengthening -Yiddishkeit among the Jews he could reach, in particular our Jewish brethren from the Russian-speaking lands. He dedicated himself to working with these Jews until the very last day of his life, when he made a phone call to ensure that proper preparations had been made for the weekly Shabbos kiddush at FREE’s Russian shul.
Shortly after FREE was founded in 1969 at the call of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, it was Reb Zalman who stepped forward to devote himself to helping Russian immigrants He worked hard to raise funds and dealt with many individuals and families on a personal level. He was heavily involved in a wide range of FREE activities. He gave daily Torah lessons at its shul, and was deeply involved in FREE’s circumcision program, which recently performed its 13,200th circumcision for Jews of the Former Soviet Union.
Reb Zalman was known for his friendly smile and gentle style. His loss is felt not only by his immediate family – to whom we offer our deepest condolences — but also by the wider Jewish community. He endeared himself to many through his devotion to the cause of helping Russian-speaking Jews materially and religiously. May he be a Heavenly proponent on behalf of his family, friends and all the Jewish people.