Michael Melchior

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Rabbi Michael Melchior (in Hebrew מיכאל מלכיאור) (born January 31, 1954) is a Danish-Norwegian rabbi and an Israeli politician and Labor-Meimad member of the Knesset.

Born into a dynasty of rabbis in Copenhagen, Denmark (his father, Binyamin (Bent) Melchior was chief rabbi of Denmark in 1969-96, his grandfather Marcus Melchior 1897-1969 was rabbi in Copenhagen from 1934 and chief rabbi from 1947 until his death in 1969, and 1943-45 he headed the Danish Jewish refugees in Sweden), Melchior immigrated to Israel in 1986. He received his rabbinical ordination from Yeshivat Hakotel in Jerusalem. He is the Chief Rabbi for the Jewish community of Norway. He was first elected to the Israeli Knesset in 1999, then again in 2003, and was re-elected in 2006. From 1999 he was the Minister of Israeli Society and Diaspora Affairs. From 2001 until 2003, he was the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

He is married to Hanna and has five children and six grandchildren. His son, Rabbi Joav Melchior, has recently become the rabbi for the synagogues in Oslo and Trondheim.