FRANCOLM, ISAAC ASHER:
German preacher and religious teacher; born at Breslau Dec. 15, 1788; died there July 1, 1849; Ph.D., Leipsic, 1817. After conducting a Jewish elementary school at Breslau for three years, he was called in 1820 to the community of Königsberg, Prussia, as preacher and religious teacher (one of his rivals for the position being Zunz), and was confirmed in his office by the government.
Francolm did much to modernize the synagogue service and religious instruction, and he introduced into Germany the confirmation of girls. Some Orthodox members of the community brought this matter before the government, and Francolm was forbidden not only to confirm girls, but also to introduce any other innovations into the service, especially preaching in the vernacular. On the expiration of his contract in 1826 he declined a reengagement, and accepted the position of chief inspector and principal of the Königliche Wilhelmsschule, a Jewish institution at Breslau, in which office he remained until 1847.
Among Francolm's numerous works are: "Der Alte Bund: Aufsätze für Israeliten zur Beförderung des Richtigen Verständnisses der Bibel," a religious weekly of which only ten numbers were published, 1820; "Die Grundzüge der Religionslehre aus den Zehn Geboten Entwickelt," Neustadt-on-the-Oder, 1826; "Die Mosaische Sittenlehre: Zum Gebrauch beim Religionsunterricht," Breslau, 1831; "Worte eines Juden nach Beendeter Landestrauer um den König Friedrich Wilhelm III.: An Seine Christlichen Brüder Gerichtet," ib. 1840; "Die Juden und die Kreuzfahrer in England Unter Richard Löwenherz." Besides these he published works of fiction and some books on mathematics and pedagogics.
- H. Jolowicz, Gesch. der Juden in Königsberg, pp. 129 et seq.;
- Jost, Neuere Gesch. der Israeliten, iii. 162, 190;
- Vogelstein, Beiträge zur Gesch. des Unterrichtswescus in der Jüd. Gemeinde zu Königsberg, pp. 21 et seq., Königsberg, 1903.
