תּוֹלְדוֹת
Jacob of London, Rabbi Yaakov of London (יעקב מלונדון), was a leader of the Jews of England in the period of the rishonim and the first known chief rabbi of the Jews of England, an office the king appointed (called in Latin Presbyter Judaeorum). King John appointed him to it in 1199 and gave him a document of safe-conduct. He most likely passed away in 1217, when Josce of London is named as his successor in the office.
He may be the Rabbi Yaakov of London whom the Rema mentions in Darkei Moshe on Tur Orach Chaim 473, who translated the whole Haggadah of Pesach into the spoken language so that women and children could follow it. That language would have been Judeo-French, since the Jews of England in those days spoke French, as did the king and his nobles.
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במקום שהמסורות חלוקות. It is not certain that he is the Rabbi Yaakov of London whose translation of the Haggadah the Rema mentions in Darkei Moshe.
יעקב מלונדון היה פרסביטר יהודי אנגליה הידוע הראשון. הוא מונה לתפקיד זה על ידי ג'ון, מלך אנגליה בשנת 1199, שגם נתן לו מסמך הגנה. הוא מת ככל הנראה בשנת 1217, כאשר יוסף מלונדון ירש אותו בתפקיד הפרסביטר. ייתכן שזהו רבי יעקב מלונדון שתרגם את ההגדה של פסח לאנגלית, כדי שנשים וילדים יוכלו להבין אותה.
Jacob of London was the first known Presbyter Judaeorum of the Jews of England; appointed to that position by King John in 1199, who also gave him a safe-conduct. He appears to have died in 1217, when Josce of London is mentioned as his successor. He is possibly identical with the rabbi Jacob of London who translated the whole Haggadah into the vernacular so that women and children could understand it.