14 Facts About Michael Melchior

Michael Melchior is a Jewish leader, Orthodox rabbi, thinker, and activist.

Michael Melchior is a former Minister of Social and Diaspora Affairs, a former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and a former member of Knesset for Meimad.

Michael Melchior is the Rabbi of a community in Talpiyot, Jerusalem, while still holding the title of the Chief Rabbi of Norway.

Michael Melchior was ordained as an Orthodox Rabbi at Yeshivat Hakotel of Jerusalem in 1980.

When Rabbi Yehuda Amital was appointed minister without portfolio after the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin in November 1995, Michael Melchior served as Amital's assistant.

Michael Melchior was selected chairman of the managing committee of the Meimad party in late 1995.

Michael 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.

Michael 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.

Michael Melchior founded The Yachad Council, which promoted dialogue between religious and secular Jews, and he served as honorary chairman of the Citizens' Accord Forum Between Jews and Arabs in Israel.

In 2002, Michael Melchior initiated, together with his Palestinian counterpart Sheikh Talal Sider, an inter-religious summit in Alexandria, Egypt, co-sponsored by the Mufti of Egypt, Grand Imam of al-Azhar Mosque, and Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar University, Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi; Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey; and Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron, Israel's Chief Rabbi.

Michael Melchior is a member of the Elijah Interfaith Institute Board of World Religious Leaders.

Mosaica's second branch is The Center for Conflict Resolution by Agreement which Rabbi Michael Melchior serves as Chairman.

Michael Melchior co-founded the Israel Civic Action Forum which promotes higher taxation on income from the extraction of natural resources, and the use of the tax income for higher government spending to increase government spending on welfare, education, and health.

On January 26,2016, Rabbi Michael Melchior was awarded The FRRME Annual Peace Prize for 2015 at the House of Lords in London.