Nissim Gaon

Nissim ben Jacob (Nissim Gaon) was a rabbi, Talmudic commentator and leader of the Jewish community of Kairwan, Tunisia. He learned primarily from his father, Rav Yaakov Gaon – a student of Hai Gaon – and Chushiel ben Elchanan. After his father's death, he was chosen by the Babylonian academies of Sura and Pumbedita as his replacement as head of the academy of Kairwan. He maintained an active correspondence with Hai Gaon and with Shmuel Hanaggid, creating a channel of discourse between eastern and western schools of Jewish thought. His most famous student was Isaac Alfasi (Rif).