Yom-Tov of Seville

Yom Tov of Joigny

Yom Tov (alt. Yom Tob) of Joigny, also denoted of York (died 1190) 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 March 16, 1190, (the day of the Jewish feast of Shabbat ha-Gadol, the shabbat before Passover, March 17, 1190), the Jews of York sought refuge in the Castle of York from a mob. They were alarmed by massacres of other Jewish communities in the preceding weeks, and by the setting on fire of several of their houses by the anti-Jewish rioting in the wake of religious fervor during crusaders' preparations for the Third Crusade against the Saracens, led by Richard I of England. The Jewish leader Josce of York asked the warden of York Castle to receive them with their wives and children, and they were accepted into Clifford's Tower. However, the tower was besieged by the mob of crusaders, demanding that the Jews convert to Christianity and be baptized.

Trapped in the castle, the Jews were advised by Rabbi Yomtob of Joigney to kill themselves rather than convert; Josce began the self-immolation by slaying his wife Anna and his two children, and then was killed by Yomtob. The father of each family killed his wife and children, and then Yomtob stabbed the men before killing himself. The handful of Jews who did not kill themselves surrendered to the crusaders at daybreak on March 17, leaving the castle on a promise that they would not be harmed; they were also killed. In the aftermath the wooden tower was burnt down.