His father, Moisei Zlatkin, was a rabbi at the city's main synagogue and a member of the local society for the study and promotion of the Hebrew language.
There, he opened a bookstore and, later, a publishing house which operates to this day under the name Slatkine and is owned by his descendenats.
[2] While living in Geneva, he continued his bibliographical research and wrote several books, including Shemot ha-Sefarim ha-Ivrim on titles of Hebrew books and Bikkurei ha-Bibliografyah ba-Safrut ha-Ivrit on Shabbethai Bass, the first Hebrew bibliographer.
He also published Mi-Sefer ha-Zikhronot shel Rav Litai, featuring "selected chapters" from the "memoirs" of Lithuanian rabbis, which some believe to be a mystification entirely written by Slatkine himself.
[3] Menahem Mendel's great-grandson, Ivan Slatkine, was a member of the Grand Council of Geneva and the head of the Federation of Romande Enterprises.