So Awesome, thanks for that David.
The way I know my wife is related to Chacham Tzvi Hirsh Ashkenazi is through Rabbi Yaakov Israel יעקב ישראל Emden who married Rachel a daughter of Yaakov Mordechai HaKohen. This is the only line I know so far.
All that research started because my wife's grandmother found a Yichus Brieve of her great grand father (Joshua Heschel Kuttner's son) in her attic.
I posted it on viewmate and somebody kindly translated it for me. The line on that one is pretty clear.
Here is the translation :
Dena Yellin: beautiful piece. this is what is known as a "yichus brieve" in Yiddish - meaning, a document that delineates one's lineage. it details the writer's lineage from his father's mother's family. there are many comments about the individuals cited regarding their piety and scholarship and references to scholarly talmudic works they authored. there are ten generations mentioned here from the writer's parents and down.
here is an approximate translation:
1) my father's name was Harav Yehoshua Heschel, son of the prolific Rabbi Ahron Kutner of blessed memory. he sat all his days in the tent of Torah and spread its teachings in the holy community of Lissa. he was the author of the book "Faith and Scrunity", a work based on the 13 principles of faith, and "faith and Belief" on the ten commandments.
2) and the name of the father of my mother, the wise and pious Michla of belssed memory, was Shaltiel Eizik who was the head of the Rabbinical court in Peiser.
3)His father was the scholar Rav Yehoshua Heschel who had (also) been the head of the Rabbinical court in Peiser. and he (Shaltiel Eizik) married the daughter of his father's brother Yehuda Leib (meaning, his cousin), who was the head of the Rabbinical court of Schwersenz.
4)Yehuda Leib (and his brother Yehoshua Heschel) were sons of Yaakov Mordechai from Poznan who was the head of the Rabbinical court
5) Yaakov Mordechai was the son of Rabbi Naftali who was reknowned as a "lion" (expert) in both the revealed and hidden studies in Pozna, Meintz and later in Tiverya (Tiberias) in the Holy Land.
6) Rav Naftali was the son of the "treasure of Israel" (meaning he was revered and well known), Rav Yitzchak Eizik of Lublin and the Galil
7) he in turn was the son of the beloved of Israel, Rav Naftali, who was the head of the Rabbinical court in Lublin. in his time, the light of all the diaspora, Rav Yehoshua Heschel - who was the rebbe of the Sha"ch and the Ta"z - was Rosh Yeshiva in Lublin, and when Rav Naftali died Rav Yehoshua Heschel took Rav Naftali's wife in marriage.
8) Rav Naftali was the son of the great scholar, light of the diaspora, Rav Yitzchak son of Rav Shimshon Kat"z (abbreviation meaning Rav Shimshon was a Cohen rather than this having been his last name), author of "Paneach Raza" on the Torah.
9) Rav Shimshon was the son in law of the pillar of Torah, pillar of the world (plus more epithets), Rav Yehuda Loew, who was the head of the Rabbinical court in Prague. he was known as "Hoecher Leib" because he was from Hoech (and the name Yehuda means lion, which is Leib in Yiddish - this is a common nickname for people named Yehuda).
10) Rav Leib/Yehuda was the son of the great Rabbi Bezalel of blessed memory.
Thanks a lot for your help,
All the best,
Francois