Zalman came to Israel  from Latvia with his parents at the age of five  ("the third Aliyah")
at the same time my grandfather, who was 18 years older, came to Israel.

Zalman was the spokesman of the Labor Ministry and the editor of its Magazine from 1950 for several decades and was involved in its heyday under Golda Meir the minister and the initial days of government institutes like
the National Insurance Institute  and the Employment Service.

When Golda Meir resigned from being Israel Prime Minister  she came to a farewell meeting with the people that helped
her during the great days of  Labor Ministry in the new state of Israel and striving  to apply socialistic politics of mutual.
Zalman wrote a special song for this occasion dedicated to Golda.
After Golda's death Zalman was an active member of the committee for the perpetuation of Golda Meir's  heritage.

When my father,  who grew up in the Labor Ministry, was  appointed General Director of the Employment Service, Zalman worked closely together with him in the Emloyment Service.
 

Zalman wrote books (in Hebrew) most of them about Labor matters and a book of poetry:

רישב םייח

- (Life as a Poem).

He gave this book to my father on the day it was published with the dedication "with deep friendship"  July 7, 1980.

These poems are expressions of the spirit of the history of Israel and its people over five decades.

His most knowable song is (just about everybody in Israel knows this song):

Shuru(Eyes-front!) Habitu(look) u-reu (and see) (words and music: Zalman Chen)
Tel Tzur Dec,12 1936: