Israel Dov Frumkin (; 29 October 1850 – 10 May 1914) was an author and pioneer of Hebrew journalism.
Family
He was born into a
Chabad
Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (; ; ), is a dynasty in Hasidic Judaism. Belonging to the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) branch of Orthodox Judaism, it is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, as well as one of ...
family in
Dubrovno, in the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
. Frumkin's step-grandfather was
Aaron ha-Levi ben Moses of
Staroselye, a close disciple of Rabbi
Shneur Zalman of Liadi
Shneur Zalman of Liadi, (; September 4, 1745 – December 15, 1812 O.S. / 18 Elul 5505 – 24 Tevet 5573) commonly known as the Alter Rebbe or Baal Hatanya, was a rabbi and the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of Hasidic Judaism. He ...
. He emigrated to
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
,
Damascus Eyalet
Damascus Eyalet (; ) was an eyalet of the Ottoman Empire. Its reported area in the 19th century was . It became an eyalet after the Ottomans took it from the Mamluks following the 1516–1517 Ottoman–Mamluk War. By Gábor Ágoston, Bruce Alan ...
on 19 December 1859, at the age of nine, with his father,
Alexander Sender Frumkin, mother and brother. His half-brother
Michael Levi, who assumed the name Rodkinson, published in New York the first translation of the Talmud to English. His sister Guishe Frumkin-Navon married
Yosef Navon Bey, who built the
Jaffa–Jerusalem railway. His son
Abraham Frumkin (1872–1946), a prominent
Jewish anarchist, was a contributor to the daily ''Yiddische Welt'', of New York. Another son,
Gad Frumkin
Gad Frumkin (Hebrew: גד פרומקין; August 2, 1887 – March 10, 1960) was an Israeli jurist. He was one of the first trained attorneys in Palestine prior to Israeli independence and one of the few Jews who served as a judge on the Supreme ...
(1887–1960), was one of the first trained attorneys in
Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
and a member of the
supreme court
In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
during the
British Mandate. Gad Frumkin's grandson—and thus Israel Dov Frumkin's great-grandson—is
Carmi Gilon, who was head of the
Shabak (Israeli security service).
''Havatzelet''
In 1869 Frumkin edited the Hebrew semi-monthly newspaper ''
Havatzelet'', which had been founded in Jerusalem by his father-in-law,
Yisrael Bak, a printer, in 1865, and a few years later he edited a
Judæo-German weekly called ''Die Rose''. The latter, owing to lack of support, was soon discontinued. ''Havatzelet'' was changed to a weekly with a literary supplement; it was issued between 1868 and 1911. Its publication was spasmodically interrupted through the intrigues and machinations of the zealots of Jerusalem, whom Frumkin constantly denounced for the lack of reform in the "
halukka
The ''halukka'', also spelled ''haluka'', ''halukkah'' or ''chalukah'' (, meaning ''distribution'') was an organized collection and distribution of charity funds for Jewish residents of the Land of Israel (the Holy Land).
General method of op ...
h" system. Eventually, however, he became reconciled to the management.
In 1883, for reflecting upon Gen.
Lew Wallace
Lewis Wallace (April 10, 1827February 15, 1905) was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, governor of New Mexico Territory, politician, diplomat, artist, and author from Indiana. Among his novels and biographies, Walla ...
, the American Minister to the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
, in an
editorial
An editorial, or leading article (UK) or leader (UK), is an article or any other written document, often unsigned, written by the senior editorial people or publisher of a newspaper or magazine, that expresses the publication's opinion about ...
in ''Havatzelet'' (xiii. No. 6), headed "An American and yet a Despot", the ''Havatzelet'' was suspended, and Frumkin was imprisoned for forty-five days, by order from
Constantinople
Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
directed to the
pasha
Pasha (; ; ) was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, generals, dignitary, dignitaries, and others. ''Pasha'' was also one of the highest titles in the 20th-century Kingdom of ...
of Jerusalem. The incident which caused the editorial was the dismissal of
Joseph Kriger, the Jewish secretary and interpreter to the pasha of Jerusalem, at the request of Wallace, who complained that Kriger had failed to receive him with the honor due to his rank, and who refused to issue any apology for the alleged shortcoming. Frumkin claimed that the proceeding was instigated by the
missionaries
A missionary is a member of a religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Miss ...
, whom Wallace strongly supported.
Other activities
After his release, Frumkin organized the society 'Ezrat Niddaḥim in honor of
Sir Moses and Lady
Judith Montefiore
Judith, Lady Montefiore (née Barent Cohen; 20 February 1784 – 24 September 1862) was a British linguist, musician, travel writer, and philanthropist. She was the wife of Sir Moses Montefiore. She authored the first Jewish cook book written ...
and to counteract the influence of the missionaries. 'Ezrat Niddaḥim was active in support and education of
Yemeni Jews and in building a village for them at
Silwan
Silwan or Siloam (; ; ) is a predominantly Palestinian district in East Jerusalem, on the southeastern outskirts of the current Old City of Jerusalem.[Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem
The Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem (, ; , , ), also known as the Sanjak of Jerusalem, was a district in Ottoman Syria with special administrative status established in 1872.Büssow (2011), p5Abu-Manneh (1999), p39Jankowski & Gershoni (1997), p174 T ...]
in 1914.
See also
*
Nisan Bak, brother-in-law and associate of Israel Dov Frumkin
References
*
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography: Sokolow, Nahum, Sefer Zikkaron, pp. 175–180, Warsaw, 1890.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frumkin, Israel Dov
1850 births
1914 deaths
People from Dubrowna
People from Goretsky Uyezd
Belarusian Jews
Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the Ottoman Empire
Ashkenazi Jews from Ottoman Palestine
19th-century printers
Jewish printing and publishing
Israeli newspaper editors
Yishuv journalists
19th-century journalists from the Russian Empire
19th-century businesspeople from the Ottoman Empire
Burials at the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives
Belarusian Zionists