Yom Tov of Joigny

Who was Yom Tov of Joigny?

Yom Tov of Joigny, also denoted of York was a French-born rabbi and liturgical poet of the medieval era who lived in York, and died in the massacre of the Jews of York in 1190. A Hebrew language hymn attributed to him, transliterated "Omnam Kayn" or "Omnam Ken" is still recited in all Ashkenazi synagogues each year on the evening of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. He was a student of Rabbenu Tam.

At York on the night of 16 March 1190, the Jews of York sought refuge in the Castle of York from a mob. The mob was led by Richard de Malbis. When a fire broke out in the city of York, de Malbis used the opportunity to incite a mob to attack the home of Benedict of York, the recently deceased agent of Aaron of Lincoln, to whom de Malbis was believed heavily in debt, killing his widow and children and burning the house. Josce of York, the leader of the Jewish community of York, obtained the permission of the warden of York Castle to remove his wife and children and the rest of the Jews into the castle, where they probably took refuge in a tower that stood where Clifford's Tower now stands. The Jews were also alarmed by massacres of other Jewish communities in the preceding weeks, in the wake of religious fervor during preparations for the Third Crusade against the Saracens, led by Richard I of England. However, the tower was besieged by a mob, demanding that the Jews convert to Christianity and be baptized.