FRENK, BEER

FRENK, BEER (Issachar Dov; 1770–1845), Hungarian rabbinic author and painter. His father emigrated from Turkey – hence the name Frenk, which was the appellation used for Ashkenazi Jews in Turkey – and went to Pressburg. Frenk studied under moses sofer , who gave his approbation to a number of Frenk's works. He served as shoḥet and beadle of the Pressburg community for 41 years. He possessed literary talent and was a skilled painter, especially of miniatures. Among the portraits he painted was one of Moses Sofer, which was done without his knowledge, and Sofer rebuked him for it. His books, all written in German with Hebrew characters, were popular presentations of religious duties, such as the salting of meat, niddah, Sabbath lights, recitation of the Shema, etc. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Ben-Menahem, in: Sinai, 64 (1968/69), 39–52; S. Schachnowitz, Licht aus dem Westen (19532), ch. 21. (Naphtali Ben-Menahem)