FRISCHMAN, DAVID BEN SAUL:

Russian Hebraist; born in Lodz 1863; now (1903) residing in Warsaw. Frischman began very early to write both poetry and prose in Hebrew periodicals, and his style and the originality of his views soon attracted attention. He was assistant editor of "Ha-Yom," in St. Petersburg (1886-87), and afterward editor of the weekly "Ha-Dor."

Frischman has contributed a large number of poems, short stories, and articles to the Hebrew periodicals during the last twenty years. His earlier writings are to be found in "Ha-Boḳer Or," "Ha-Shaḥar," "Ha-Asif," etc. His works include: the short story "Be-Yom ha-Kippurim," Warsaw, 1881; his successful translation of Aaron Bernstein's "Aus dem Reiche der Natur," under the title "Yedi'ot ha-Ṭeba'" (The Perceptions of Nature) (1882-85); "Tohu wo-Bohu," a scathing criticism of Hebrew journalistic methods, especially directed against "Ha-Meliẓ," with an appendix, "'Al ha-Nes," in which I. L. Lewin's translation of Disraeli's "Tancred" is severely criticized (ib. 1883); "Miktabim 'al Debar ha-Sifrut" (Notes on the History of Literature), a criticism against contemporary Hebrew literature (Warsaw, 1895). He also translated Julius Lippert's "Kulturgeschichte," under the title "Toledot Hashlamat ha-Adam," in three parts (ib. 1894-1901). A collection of his scattered articles and feuilletons is at present (1903) being published in Warsaw under the title "Ketabim Nibḥarim."

Frischman has also written considerably for Yiddish periodicals. The poem "Ophir" in the "Yiddische Volksbibliothek" deserves to be mentioned. He has done much to introduce Western methods into Neo-Hebrew literature.

Bibliography:
  • Ha-Eshkol, ii. 159-160;
  • Eisenstadt, Dor Rab. banaw we-Soferaw, iii. 37, Wilna, 1901;
  • Aḥiasaf, 5662, pp. 273-282;
  • Zeitlin, Bibl. Post-Mendels. s.v.
H. R. P. Wi.
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