Rabbi Moses, son of Rabbi Kalonymus, son of Rabbi Judah, was the first to leave Lombardy. He departed with his sons, Rabbi Kalonymus and Rabbi Jekuthiel, his relative Rabbi Ithiel and other distinguished men.

King Charles brought them with him from the land of Lombardy and settled them in Mainz. There they were fruitful, multiplied and increased greatly, until divine wrath overtook all the holy communities in the year 4856 [1096 CE].

Then nearly all of us were lost and perished. Only a very small number of our relatives survived.

Rabbi Kalonymus the Elder transmitted the tradition to Rabbi Eleazar the ḥazzan of Speyer, as we wrote above. Rabbi Eleazar the ḥazzan transmitted it to Rabbi Judah the Pious. From him I, the insignificant one, received the mysteries of the prayers and other mysteries.