Jacob Nachod

Jacob Nachod (22 March 1814 – 11 April 1882) was a German-Jewish businessman-banker and philanthropist.

Life Jacob Nachod was born in Dresden. Naftali Simcha Nachod (1765–1822), his father, had been born in Aussig (Bohemia), but by the time Jacob was born the family were well established in Dresden. He was one of his father's younger children, possibly the youngest. After his father died Jacob went away to attend the "Samson school", the Jewish "free school" in Wolfenbüttel, between 1826 and 1829.

In 1839 he joined the Leipzig trading business "Knaut & Storrow" which soon became the principal focus of his business career. He achieved rapid promotion, starting as a book keeper and progressing via the purchasing department. In 1852, he became a partner in the company which was now relaunched as the Bankhaus Knauth, Nachod & Kühne. It became one of the leading import/export businesses engaged in trade with North America and, as the name indicated, operated its own banking division. He was involved in establishing a number of other Jewish and Interdenominational societies and foundations.

Jacob Nachod received Saxon citizens' rights in 1852, and that year he became Leipzig's first city councillor from the Jewish community. Meanwhile in 1852 work began on Leipzig's first synagogue: it was consecrated in 1855. From the outset it was determined that the building should be available not just for Leipzig's Jews, but for regular visitors from elsewhere who came to the city in connection with its famous trade fairs. The liberal synagogue was one of the most important new religious buildings in the Germany of its time. It was decided that sermons should be delivered in German and chanting should use arrangements that involved organ accompaniment.