Golda Frank

Reb Shraga Frank was one of the wealthiest men in Kovno, Lithuania. He
owned a leather factory, a leather goods store, and a great deal of
real estate. He was also a talmid chacham and a tzaddik (a learned and
righteous man), who was under the influence of the founder of the
Mussar Movement, Reb Yisrael Salanter.

When he died at 42 (1887), Reb Yitzchak Elchhonon Spektor, the
Kovno Rav, personally participated in his taharah (ritual preparation
of the body for burial). Reb Shraga had specified that no eulogies be
said at his funeral. "Normally I would ignore such a request," the
Kovno Rav said, "but I am afraid to violate Reb Shraga's word."

Before his passing, Reb Shraga told his wife that since Heaven did not grant
him time to guide his four daughters into marriage, the obligation
rested on her, Golda. And he told her that the four men for his four
girls must be not only talmidei chachamim, but men of shivti (Shivti
is a Mussar term for those who dedicate their life to Torah study and
its propagation, based on the passage from Tehillim: "Shivti b'veis
HaShem ... May I dwell in the house of Hashem all the days of my life"
(27:4.) Also, that she should spend their every cent on maintaining
their children - the shivti sons-in-law, and their subsequent
families.

The Choices

FIRST:

Reb Moshe Mordechai Epstein: Slobodka, Chevron, Jerusalem The first son-in-law to be chosen was Reb Moishe Mordechai Epstein
from the small town of Baksht.

SECOND:

Reb Isser Zalman Meltzer: Slutsk, Kletzk, Jerusalem, Lakewood Reb Isser Zalman Meltzer was Golda's choice for her second daughter,
upon the recommendation of her first son-in-law, Reb Moshe Mordechai.
He became Rosh Yeshivah in Slutsk, a large city in Belarus,


THIRD

Reb Baruch Hurwitz: Alexot Reb Sheftel Kramer: Slutsk, New Haven, Baltimore The third daughter married Reb Baruch Hurwitz, Rav in Alexot,
Lithuania, and Rosh Yeshivah in Slobodka. Reb Baruch was also Chairman
of the Agudath Israel in Lithuania; and later succeeded his
brother-in-law, Reb Moshe Mordechai, to the presidency of the Agudas
HaRabbonim of Lithuania.

FOURTH:

The fourth married Reb Sheftel Kramer, Rosh Yeshivah in Slutsk. Reb
Sheftel left Slutsk, and joined Reb Yehuda Heschel Levenberg in his
yeshivah in New Haven, Connecticut, (the first yeshivah in the United
States outside of New York City) as Mashgiach. Reb Sheftel's oldest
son-in-law, Reb Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman, also joined the yeshivah in
the early thirties, then moved on to Baltimore, Maryland, where he
established the Yeshivah Ner Israel, which he still heads as Rosh
Yeshivah. Reb Sheftel's youngest son-in-law, Reb Naftali Neuberger, is 
menahel of Ner Israel.

[%D7%A2%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9B%D7%AA קוד מקור | עריכה] פרנק ציווה בצוואתו שבנותיו תינשאנה לתלמידי חכמים. ואכן ארבע בנותיו נישאו לתלמידי חכמים מפורסמים:

חיה מנוחה, אשת הרב משה מרדכי אפשטיין, ראש ישיבת סלבודקה בליטא, ואחר כך ראש ישיבת חברון.

חותנם של ראשי ישיבת חברון הרבנים יחזקאל סרנא, משה חברוני ואהרן כהן. ביילה הינדה - אשת הרב איסר זלמן מלצר, ראש ישיבת סלוצק, ואחר כך ראש ישיבת עץ חיים בירושלים.

חותנו של הרב אהרון קוטלר פעשא - אשת הרב ברוך הורביץ, שהיה רבה של אלקסוט ור"מ בישיבת סלבודקה שבקובנה. דבורה - אשת הרב שפטל קרמר, שכיהן כמשגיח בישיבת סלוצק, ולימים ראש ישיבת בקליבלנד. חותנו של הרב יעקב יצחק רודרמן

. בניו: רפאל פרנק והרב צבי פסח פרנק (שהיה חתנו של הרב אריה לייב ברוידא).

אחיו הרב יהודה לייב פרנק היה ממייסדי חדרה ואביו של הרב צבי פסח פרנק. גיסו (בעל אחות אשתו) היה הרב זבולון באריט, אב"ד פלונגיאן.