Melech Schachter

Melech Schachter (April 7, 1913 - February 27, 2007) was a pulpit rabbi, coordinator of Jewish divorce, and instructor at Yeshiva University for over fifty years.

Schachter served many rabbinic roles over his career, including the publit rabbi in various communities such as Scranton, Pennsylvania, and The Bronx, New York. He went on to serve as the coordinator of the Rabbinical Council of America's Beth Din for Gittin (Jewish Divorce) and Halitza. In addition to teaching in the RIETS Semikha program, he also taught at Stern College for Women and the Wurzweiler School of Social Work. In 1997, Rabbi Norman Lamm granted him an honorary degree for his achievements as a Torah scholar and rabbi. Schachter consulted with Rabbi Moshe Feinstein on a number of issues regarding Gittin and Geirut, such as the use of a polygraph by a husband who is fully paralyzed to commission the writing of a Get and relying on a pregnancy test to allow a woman who converts to Judaism to marry immediately. He was an expert on the spelling of names in a Get and was often consulted by younger rabbis on issues of Halacha and gave generously of his time to train them.

Schachter died at the age of 93 on February 27, 2007, and was survived by his son Hershel Schachter, daughter Sara Steinberg, twelve grandchildren, and thirty-three great grandchildren. He was originally going to be eulogized in the Harry Fischel Beit Midrash at Yeshiva University, but, due to underestimated attendance, the eulogies were moved to the adjacent Lamport Auditorium and the deceased was brought in, as well.