|
The 1890s were a whirlwind for Frank, who became
"the most talked of Jewess of to-day." Dubbed "the
Maiden in the Temple" by the Spokane paper and "the
Jewess in the Pulpit" by the Cincinnati
Israelite, Frank was soon launched into a
new career. As articles about her groundbreaking
preaching appeared in both Jewish and non-Jewish
publications across the country, more and more
communities wished to hear for themselves the
newest sensation in American Jewry.
|
|
Up and down the Pacific coast, Frank traveled
from her home in the bay area of California to Los
Angeles, San Diego, and Stockton,
Nevada, Oregon, and British Columbia, addressing
enthusiastic audiences along the way. In addition
to giving lectures to B'nai B'rith lodges, literary
societies, and synagogue women's groups, she spoke
in both Reform and Orthodox synagogues, giving
sermons,
officiating at services, or, as at San Francisco's
Temple Emanuel in 1895, reading Scripture.
Unfortunately, because contemporary reports do not
indicate exactly what her "officiating" entailed,
the extent to which Frank ever took on the strictly
religious functions of a rabbi remains unclear.
Many of Frank's discourses, such as "The Prayers
that are Heard" and "The Sounding of the Shofar,"
dealt with deeply religious subjects. But even her
talks on cultural, historical, and artistic toimages
were suffused with a profound spirituality, as
Frank explored the connections between God and art,
music, or nature. Titles like "Heart Throbs of
Israel," "Jewish Women in Fact and History," "Music
and its Revelations," "Nature—the Supreme
Teacher" reflect only a few of the many issues that
interested Frank.
Learn more about other
women
public speakers
in nineteenth-century America.
|
