Years: c. 1460–1541
Primary city: Lublin
Rabbi Yaakov Pollak was a central figure in the development of Talmudic study in Poland, credited with popularizing the analytical method known as pilpul. After studying in Germany, he founded an influential yeshiva in Kraków, which became a primary center for this style of learning in the region. His most prominent student was Rabbi Shalom Shachna of Lublin, who in turn taught the Rema. His pedagogical approach shaped Ashkenazic rabbinic scholarship for centuries.