Malkiel Ashkenazi

Malkiel (also spelled Malchiel) Ashkenazi (Hebrew: מלכיאל אשכנזי) was a Sephardic rabbi and leader of the Jewish community in Hebron in 1540. He emigrated from Salonika to the Land of Israel, living in Safed before moving to Hebron. He was a respected authority in Jewish law, and his decisions on religious matters were widely accepted, also outside of Hebron. He had an extensive library and helped edit the works of Rabbi Chaim Vital. Rabbi Ashkenazi was buried in the ancient Jewish cemetery in Hebron.