Haim Amsalem

Rabbi Emil Haim Amsalem (Hebrew: חיים אמסלם, born 12 October 1959) is an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset. A former member of Shas, in 2011 he established the Whole Nation party.

Biography

He was born in Oran in Algeria to David and Freha Amsalem, who immigrated to there from Morocco. When he was six months old, his family moved to Lyon, France where he grew up until the age of 11. In 1970 the family immigrated to Israel. He graduated from the "Kisseh Rahamim" Yeshiva where was ordained as rabbi in 1980 and served as a Head of Yeshiva ("RAM"). In 1990 he obtained certification as a rabbinical legal representative ("to'en rabbani") and in 1993 he was ordained a City rabbi by the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.

In 1982 he married Hannah, the granddaughter of Rabbi Nissim Cohen, Av Beit Din in Djerba. [2] After his marriage he served as rabbi of the moshav Sharsheret for seven years. he served also as a Neighborhood Rabbi in Netivot, as Head of Yeshiva of "Ohalei Yaakov ve Tifereth Israel" and as Head of the kolel "Baba Sali" in the city. From there he moved to the Har Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem and established there the "Shirei David" Kolel in the name of his father. He was later appointed as rabbi of the Sephardic Jewish community, "Heichal Haness" in Geneva, Switzerland, a position he held until his entry into the Knesset.

Rabbi Amsalem wrote books in a variety of religious topics and has published religious articles and Torah research papers in the religious publications "Ohr Torah", "Ohr Israel," "Beit Hillel" and more. He specialized in deciphering manuscripts and published writings of famous Sephardic scholars, including the "P'nei Moshe" by Rabbi Moshe Kalfon HaCohen and "Ya'amod Pinchas" by Rabbi Pinchas Abitbol.

He lives in Har Nof, Jerusalem. He is married with eight children.

External links

• Haim Amsalem on the Knesset website