Rabbi Dovid Flam, ADMI"R of Alesk-Montreal

Edited Feb 26 2023 Moshe Flam

http://imjm.ca/location/1024

Link to the Museum of Jewish Montreal. The Hebrew, which is an image copied from the book Toldot Hachasidut by Alfasi Has the following information (with my additions in parenthesis):

He was born in 5656 (circa 1896) in Korczyna Galizia (today in Poland) near the town of Krosna.

His father was Rabbi Yitzchok Flam of Korkzyna, and his mother was Esther (nee Rubin) daughter of Rabbi Shmuel Aharon Rubin of Korczyna (pronounced in Yiddish, and in Ukrainian Kortchin.) writer of the book Beit Aharon on Shulchan Oruch Even Haezer Gittin and several other books. Rabbi Yitzchak came to Korkzyna from Olesko or Sokal both near Belz, where his parents lived. They were from the Belz community and were descendants of both the first Belzer Rebbe, and his first teacher into Chasidism Rabbi Shlomo Lutzker (father of the Flam family. Rabbi Yitzchok was wounded in Lvov during the antisemitic riots at the end of WWi, and died in the hospital, from that wound).

According to Alfasi, Rabbi Shmuel Aharon is mistakenly said to be the son of Aharon ABD (Jewish chief judge) of Rimanow. and grandson of the holy rabbi of Riminow. (This is probably a mistake and has to do with the other Rubin, who became rabbi of Korczyna after the passing of Rabbi Shmuel Aharon, who had the name of Rubin, while Rabbi Shmuel Aharon signed his name Rabin.

There are several mistakes in Alfasis book, so here'e the correct info:

He is a descendent of Rabbi Shlomo Lutzker, the founding father of the Flam family, and writer of the two books: Likutei Amarim - Magid Dvorov Leyakov (summary of the Maggid of Mezritch sayings) and Divrat Shlomo, with Hassidic explanations to the Tora.

From information on the Olesko gravestone of Rabbi Shlomo Flam of Olesko, the grandson of Rabbi Shlomo Lutzker, my father concludes that he is our ancesstor as well. There are those who dispute this vehemently and claim that Rabbi David Flam the father of Rabbi Yitzchok of Korczyna was the son of Berish Saginahor who was the son of Rabbi Shlomo Lutzker, and not as my father claims that Rabbi David the father of Rabbi Yitzchok of Korkzyna is the son or Rabbi Shlomo Flam of Olesko, the grandson of Rabbi Shlomo Lutzker.
Thus according to my father, his great grandfather Rabbi Dovid was the GREAT grandson of Reb Shlomo Litzker and not his son's son.

Alfasi's book further states that in 5682 he married Sarah, daughter of Rabbi Moshe Langner (of Kozova they fled to Lvov during the first world war and according to Sarah's sister Pearl's writing they never returned). The book states that Rabbi Moshe was alive at the time of writing (שליט"א) and states that he is in Toronto Canada, and is the Rebbe of Stretyn, and that he is a descendent of Yehuda Tzvi of Stretyn the student of Rabbi Uri of Strelisk., and that Sarah (from her mother's side) was of the Rebbes of Ziditchov and Kaliv.

He settled in Bobrosk (Yi: Boyberik) and from there went to Canada. (His mother and brother joined her brothers in Jerusalem). His Shul was called Ahavas Dovid (according to the book). He is listed at the time or writing in Montreal as one of the important Rebbeim in Canada.

He was also descendent of the Rabbi (Sar) Sholom of Belz, Rabbi Shlomo Lutzker's disciple and the founder of the Belz Hassidim dynasty.

In 1964 he came to Jerusalem and lived on Yisa Bracha Street under his nephew Rabbi Safrin, one of the Komarna Rebbes. His mother had passed away by then, but he davened in Warsaw Shul in Mea Shearim according to testimony from Eliezer Safrin (Komarno Bet Shemesh) and Yom Tov Lipman Rubin (Nitzotz Shel Kessef store) who both sat with him in Shul as youngsters), he was the maggid shiur of Shaleshudess there.

Stories about him are written in a new edition of Degel Machne Yehuda by Shloime Weinberg, Sarah's sister Pearl's grandson, who is the husband of Rabbi David's granddaughter Esther (nee Nemetzky).

Two days before Pesach תשלא his Shamesh gave him a glass of water he recited the שהכל blessing, that everything is Hashem's will, and passed away.

IYH Erev Pesach I will write the different versions of some great stories about him., and link to here.

מנחם משה פלאם

האדמו"ר מאלעסק, הרב דוד פלאם (בן הרב יצחק), לאחר שנתייתם בגיל צעיר יחסית, גדל על ברכי רבי יששכר דב (הזקן) מבעלז, עזב את אירופה למונטריאול ובסוף ימיו היה אדמו"ר בשכונת מאה שערים בירושלים. הרב דוד היה נשוי לבת של רבי משה לנגנר, מסטרטין-טורונטו.

מנחם משה פלאם