Michael Melchior
| Michael Melchior | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Date of birth | 31 January 1954 |
| Place of birth | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Year of aliyah | 1986 |
| Knessets | 15, 16, 17 |
| Faction represented in Knesset | |
| 1999–2001 | One Israel |
| 2001–2009 | Meimad |
| Ministerial roles | |
| 1999–2001 | Minister of Social & Diaspora Affairs |
Michael Melchior (Hebrew: מיכאל מלכיאור; born January 31, 1954) ) is an internationally renowned Jewish leader, thinker and activist. He is a former Minister of Social and Diaspora Affairs, a former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and a former member of Knesset for Meimad. He is the Rabbi of a vibrant community in Talpiyot, Jerusalem (Beit Boyer), while still holding the title of the Chief Rabbi of Norway.
A descendant of seven generations of rabbis in Denmark, Melchior was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1954. He was ordained as an Orthodox Rabbi at Yeshivat Hakotel of Jerusalem in 1980. Soon afterwards he returned to Scandinavia to serve as Chief Rabbi of Norway.
In 1986, he immigrated to Israel and settled down with his family in Jerusalem, while still holding the honorary title of Chief Rabbi of Norway.
Melchior entered politics with the Meimad party in 1995. When rabbi Yehuda Amital was appointed minister without portfolio after the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin in November, 1995, Melchior served as Amital's assistant. Melchior was selected chairman of the managing committee of the Meimad party in early 1996.
In the 1999 elections, Meimad ran as part of the One Israel alliance with the Labor Party and Gesher. Melchior won a seat, and was appointed Minister of Social and Diaspora Affairs on 5 August 1999, a post he held until Ariel Sharon became Prime Minister in 2001. Melchior was re-elected to the Knesset as a member of the joint list in 2003 and 2006 as Meimad continued its alliance with the Labor Party. In 2008 Meimad broke away from the alliance and ran in partnership with the Green Movement in the 2009 elections, but failed to win a seat. On December 14 2012, on his Facebook page he said that he will quit Knesset elections.
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