The Goldschmidt Family

Jakob ben Yehuda Weil:

Talmudist, the Mahari"v; Rabbi in Nuernberg, Augsburg, Bamberg, Erfurt(1444); Student of Rabbi Jakob ben Moshe Moellin, (the Mahari"l), wholived in Mainz and Worms. Rosenthal mentions in his book,"Heimatsgeschichte der badische Juden", that Rabbi Jakob Weil was themost illustrious student of the Mahari"l and that he compiled the prayersand practices of the times for the Jews Along the Rhine. He alsoidentifies the Weil Rabbinical family as one of the oldest JewishfamiLies of Southern Germany.

He authored She'elot u'Teshuvot and Shechitot v' Bedikot, the latter atreatise that laid the basis for the ritual animal slaughtering laws. Hisbooks were printed in Venice in 1532.

It is Said in LoewenStein's book that the Weil dynasty points back tofamous Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg, The Mahara"m. According to Raymond M.Jung of Zurich, in Maajan, Rabbi Jacob married either a grandchild orGreat grandchild of the Mahara"m. This notion is also carried forth inErnest Weill treatise on the Weil family. Thus we are left with aquestion as to the true connection between the Weils to the Mahara"m, beit direct or through the wife of Rabbi Jacob.

His birth year is also given as 1375 in Mishpachot Atikot b'Yisrael whichseems too early.

R. Jacob served as Rabbi first in Nuernberg, then 1412-1438 in Augsburg,till 1444 in Bamberg and finally, until his death in 1456 in Erfurt.

Wife was probably from Nuernberg, and most likely the descendant of theMahara"m;