N E W S L E T T E R No
33
- September 2001 - Erev Rosh Hashana 5762 |
Dear Family,
Dedication of the Frumkin Midrasha in Petach Tikva
On Thursday June 21st the Frumkin Midrasha was inaugurated and dedicated in
the "Maalot Chaim" State Religious School in Kfar Avraham, Petach
Tikva.
Many well-known people were present and spoke at the ceremony, including Yitzchak Ohayon, the Mayor of Petach Tikva; Elimelech Landner, the Chairman of the Center for Religious Education; Saul Yahalom, member of the Knesset and ex-Minister; Menachem Cohen, Deputy Head of the Ministry of Education, Paltiel Aisenthal, Deputy Mayor of Petach Tikva, Rami Hoffenburg, Director of Education in Petach Tikva, Rabbi Moshe Klein of the Kfar Ganim Bet area, and Louis Frydman as representative of the Frumkin family. Rabbis, inspectors, headmasters, members of parents' committees, members of the Frumkin family and people active in the fields of education and teaching were also present at the ceremony. The "Pirchei Yerushalayim" choir and pupils of the Ma'alot Chaim school took part in the artistic program, and an exhibition about the activities of the Midrasha was also on display at the school.
The Midrasha at Ma'alot Chaim is run by girls doing their National Service. Its activities are financed by a fund in memory of the late Rachel and Eliahu Ephraim Frumkin of London, which was established at the initiative of the late Rabbi Meyer Frydman and his wife Gertie, granddaughter of Rabbi Aryeh Leib Frumkin. The money was raised after selling the Frumkin "shtiebel" in Seven Sisters Road, Finsbury Park, an area in London which became empty of its worshippers after the Jews moved out and on to the more northern suburbs.
Continuation of the first school in Petach Tikva
This dedication of the Midrasha took place 115 years after Rabbi Aryeh Leib
Frumkin opened the first school in Petach Tikva, the "Mother of Settlements",
in his home on the Lachman estate. Interesting information about the school
that Rabbi Frumkin established and ran from the year 1889 is provided by Eliezer
Troppe, amongst the veterans of Petach Tikva and author of the books "Foundations"
and "At the Beginning" about the history of Petach Tikva. Rabbi Frumkin
was also one of the teachers at the school, in addition to his various roles
as work manager on the large agricultural site (1,000 dunams) and treasurer
and accounts manager of the estate.
During the first year, Troppe writes, 53 pupils from Petach Tikva studied with Rabbi Frumkin and were taught by three teachers. The syllabus included Hebrew - reading, writing and grammer - and Bible, Mishna, Talmud and mathematics. Five pupils also came from Jerusalem and boarded in Frumkin's house, with Sheina, Frumkin's wife and his daughters cooking and washing for them. The school was called a "Talmud Torah", according to the requirements of those who established Petach Tikva.
During the second year the institution increased in size to 63 pupils with 12 teachers. It was the first religious-educational institute in the first agricultural settlement in Palestine, and Frumkin introduced new subjects. In addition to the religious field, he also added book-keeping, Arabic, Hebrew and German to the curriculum. Rabbi Frumkin, who was from Lithuania, wanted to be responsible for the formation of the new Jewish child in the Jewish village in the Land of Israel. His updated curriculum was planned in complete coordination with Rabbi Azriel Hildesheimer from Germany, who was the main supporter - both from the advice and financial points of view - of this school. Prof. Mordechai Eliav, author of the book "Love of Zion among the Jews of Germany" shows in his book a photograph of a receipt from the year 1889, for the amount of 400 Marks, in Rabbi Frumkin's handwriting, in acknowledgement of the amount that Hildesheimer contributed to the school. It is possible to read more details about Rabbi Frumkin's efforts to rehabilitate Petach Tikva after its destruction and the school he built in his book "Achuzat Petach Tikva" published by the Frumkin Foundation.
As is well known, Rabbi Frumkin and his wife Sheina were forced, because of famine in the land, to leave Palestine, and they travelled to London in 1894. However, they returned to the "Mother of Settlements" in 1911 and when they died, were buried in the local cemetery. Several of their children remained in London and from them were descended the late Lord (Samuel) Segal of Wytham, son of Prof. Moshe Zvi Segal (Professor of Bible and Hebrew Studies) and his wife Hannah Leah Frumkin, and Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Sacks, grandson of Rachel and Eliahu Ephraim Frumkin, who today serves as Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of Great Britain and the Commonwealth. Many more of Arieh Leib's descendants who were born in Britain have returned to the Holy Land, and among them those who brought with them the proceeds obtained from the sale of the Frumkin synagogue in London which have been dedicated to the advancement of religious education in the land of their forefathers.
We regret that we did not have our Family Gathering this year. Next Yom Atzmaut we will hold it in the form of a picnic, as we do every other year. In the meantime, please accept our good wishes for a very healthy New Year and may peace come soon
Sincerely yours,
The Executive of the Frumkin Foundation
Contributions to the Frumkin Foundation will be gratefully received by:
Angela Cohen
23 Karni Street
Apt. 3
Ramat Aviv 69025
Israel
Tel: (972)-3-6994126
In addition, we will be very happy to receive your e-mail addresses. Please send them to the following address: webmaster@frumkin.org.il
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Congratulations
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The Frumkin Family extends hearty congratulations and Mazal Tov to:
Births
Oshrat and Ilan Frydman on the birth of their first child, a daughter Ruth
Geula, second grandchild for Aviva and Louis Frydman and greatgranddaughter
for the late Gertie and Meyer Frydman (Jerusalem).
Gila and Aharon Adler-Levine, on the birth of their daughter Yam, granddaughter
for Ora and Shabtai Levine (Herzliya).
Bar and Bat Mitzvah
Robert Duboff, son of Susan Duboff and Peter Duboff, grandson of June (Frumkin)
and Philip Gordon and greatgrandson of the late Aaron Frumkin, on his Bar Mitzvah
(London).
Jonathan Daniel Hart, son of Ruth and Michael Hart and grandson of Rose (Nevies)
and Henry Miller, on his Bar Mitzvah (Manchester).
Benjamin Hillel Levin, son of Janet and David Levin and grandson of Israela
(Tick) Levin, on his Bar Mitzvah (New York).
Sara Chana Purvin, daughter of Nina and Arthur Purvin, and granddaughter of
Carmela and Dr. Martin Kalmanson, on her Bat Mitzvah (New York).
Tamar Bashan, daughter of Michael (Ophir) and Yishai Bashan and grandson of
Margalit and Danny Ophir, on her Bat Mitzvah (Kibbutz Tzora).
Yonni Chava Rafaely, daughter of Dina and Yisrael Rafaely and granddaughter
of the late Sara and Jonathan Appel, on her Bat Mitzvah (Jerusalem).
Yehuda Leib Nevies, son of Techiya and Eliezer Nevies and grandson of Sophie
Nevies, on his Bar Mitzvah (Jerusalem).
Ben Ginat, son of Orna and Arieh Ginat and grandson of Yehudit Ginat, on his
Bar Mitzvah (Rishon Le-Zion).
David Joseph Segal-Hamilton, son of Naomi Segal and Paul Hamilton and grandson
of Leah and Prof. Ben Zion Segal, on his Bar Mitzvah (London).
Steven Wallerstein, son of Linda and Michael Wallerstein and grandson of Rose
and Larry Wallerstein, on his Bar Mitzvah (New York).
Marriage
Shalom Cohen, son of Angela (Goldberg) Cohen and Haviv Cohen and grandson of
Rose (Frumkin) and the late Wilfred Goldberg, on his marriage to Tamar Klecki
from Uruguay.
Shalom Weil, son of Dr. Shalva Weil and Michael Weil and grandson of Phyllis
and David Dimson, on his marriage (Jerusalem).
Aviva Friedmann, daughter of Michelle (Rabinowitz) and Lenny Friedmann and granddaughter
of the late Mena (Nevies) and Reuven Rabinowitz, on her marriage to Avi Barach
(Jerusalem).
Eldad Appel-Eilat, son of Dina and Yisrael Rafaely and grandson of the late
Sara and Jonathan Appel, on his marriage to Vered Cohen (Jerusalem).
Yoav Nir, son of Shifra and Yankele Nir and grandson of Yehudit Ginat, on his
marriage to Revital Danin (Gedera).
Ohad, son of Shifra and Yankele Nir and grandson of Yehudit Ginat, on his forthcoming
marriage to Ronit Levy (Kfar Pines).
Special congratulations to
Dr. Susie Dimson, daughter of Prof. Elroy and Dr. Helen Dimson and granddaughter
of Phyllis and David Dimson, on her election to Membership of the Royal College
of Paediatrics and Child Health, London.
Etti Lubochinsky, on being awarded the Adler Prize for the Good of the Child
(at Tel Aviv University).
Jacob Grossman on being awarded the 2001 Leaders of Industry Award (New York,
USA)
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CONDOLENCES
The Frumkin Foundation extends sincerest condolences to the families who lost
their dear ones during the last year, with the passing of
Sara Appel
Reuven Bender
Rivka Marcus
Margalit Normand