Abraham de Cologna

Abraham (Vita) de Cologna (25 September 1755 – 24 March 1832) was an Italian-born orator, politician, and religious leader. He is considered to have been one of the first Chief Rabbis of France, following David Sintzheim and preceding Emmanuel Deutz.

Biography As the rabbi of Mantua, Abraham Vita de Cologna was elected as a deputy to the parliament of the Kingdom of Italy, which was ruled in personal union with France under Napoleon I, and in 1806 he served as a member of the Assembly of Jewish Notables in Paris. He was later named vice-president of the Grand Sanhedrin when it was established in 1807. In 1808 he became a member of the Central Consistory of France, and subsequently served as its president from 1812 to 1826.