Emden, Jacob, 1697-1776

Jacob Emden, also known as Ya'avetz (June 4, 1697 – April 19, 1776), was a leading German rabbi and talmudist who championed traditional Judaism in the face of the growing influence of the Sabbatean movement. He was widely acclaimed for his extensive knowledge. Emden was the son of the hakham Tzvi Ashkenazi and a descendant of Elijah Ba'al Shem of Chełm. He spent most of his life in Altona (now part of Hamburg, Germany). His son, Meshullam Solomon, served as rabbi of the Hambro Synagogue in London and claimed authority as Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom from 1765 to 1780. The acronym Ya'avetz (יעב"ץ, also rendered Yaavetz) stands for Yaakov ben Tzvi (יעקב בן צבי). Seven of his 31 works were published posthumously.