His father, a veteran of WWI who fought at the Battle of Verdun, was a mathematics and physics professor.
[2] As a Jewish child in a predominantly Roman Catholic city, Schaalman experienced instances of antisemitism, intolerance, and exclusion.
For example, in a 2005 interview with U.S. Catholic, Schaalman recalled the memory of being beaten up by his own friends when he was seven or eight years old, solely because he was Jewish.
From 1949 to 1951, Schaalman served as the director of the Chicago Federation of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.
This position led him to establish and become the first director of a camp for kids called the Olin-Sang Ruby Union Institute, located in Wisconsin.
This position lasted for more than thirty years, until he retired in 1986, yet still continued as rabbi emeritus until his death.
This was greatly exemplified when he performed a memorial service in a Roman Catholic cathedral for Cardinal Joseph Bernardin in 1996, with whom he had been very close friends.
[2] In 2002, Schaalman was awarded the Lincoln Medal, which is the highest recognition anyone can receive from the state of Illinois.
[2] In 2004, the Garrett – Evangelical Theological Institute at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, gave him another honorary degree.