In the memorial register of the Mainz community, it is noted that “Rabbi Simeon bar Isaac toiled for the communities and illuminated the eyes of the exiles with his piyyutim.”[1] According to folk legend, his son Elchanan was abducted at a young age and raised in a monastery.
Upon discovering his true identity, he abandoned Christianity and was eventually martyred by the Crusaders.
[2] However, this legend lacks clear sources,[3] and the chronology does not align – the First Crusade occurred over seventy years after Rabbi Simeon's passing.
Many of his piyyutim are included in the Ashkenazi prayer cycle, such as “Kedushataot” for Rosh Hashanah, Shavuot, and Shevi’i shel Pesach.
Additionally, he composed numerous selichot (penitential prayers), some of which are recited during the month of Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance.