[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Earlier this week, YWN reported about US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro’s visit to the Mir Yeshiva in Yerushalayim. In the article, YWN published video footage of the visit, along with photos.

The video below has just been released by the US Embassy in Tel Aviv, and shows Ambassador Shapiro discussing a piece of Gemara with an American Yeshiva Bochur.

The following statement from the Embassy was given to YWN:

On January 10, 2012, the US Ambassador Daniel Shapiro visited the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem, one of the largest yeshivas in the world with over 6,000 students. During the tour of the yeshiva, situated in Mea Shearim, the Ambassador was accompanied by Rabbi Aharon Chodosh, Rabbi Nachman Levovitz, Rabbi Binyamin Carlebach, First Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Yosef Deitsch, and Rabbi Aaron David Davis. During the visit, the Ambassador was shown four study halls in three different buildings, each one with many hundreds of students studying together. The Ambassador was introduced to the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, who acceded to this position upon the death of his father in November, Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel.

The Ambassador then visited The Bedomaich Chayi Cord Blood Bank which was established in Jerusalem in 2006 as a public cord-blood bank. Following a small reception and presentation ceremony the Ambassador cut the ribbon of a newly established laboratory and was given a short explanation of its function. At the same time, the Ambassador visited the Dor Yeshorim organization, an organization which provides genetic testing to prevent the occurrence of genetic diseases within the Jewish community worldwide. To date, the Dor Yeshorim program operates in dozens of countries around the world, having tested over 300,000 patients for the common recessive diseases.

Click HERE to watch this video from a mobile device.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)