On January 10, 2012, the Ambassador 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 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.

Photo Credit: Matty Stern

                      U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv