Ambassador Young Sam Ma. 'Korean people interested in Jewish history'
Photo courtesy of South Korean Embassy
South Korean envoy visits Bnei Brak
Ambassador, whose country is Talmud's greatest friend, invited to tour ultra-Orthodox city and witness centrality of rabbinic writings in residents' lives up close
After telling Ynet about the Talmud being
a bestseller in South Korea, Ambassador Young Sam Ma was invited to tour the Israeli city of Torah studies – Bnei Brak – in order to witness the centrality of the ancient rabbinic writings in the lives of the city's residents up close.
Several weeks ago, the South Korean ambassador visited Netivot Olam Yeshiva as a guest of Bnei Brak Mayor Yaakov Asher, and took part in a special discussion on the foundations of Talmud and its centrality in the life of the Jewish people.
Mazal Tov!
Kobi Nahshoni
Ultra-Orthodox city in central Israel signs Twin City Alliance with Lakewood, New Jersey, which has large haredi community
An interesting meeting was held between the ambassador and Rabbi Arye Visper, a yeshiva student, who fought in the Korean War and was even awarded a medal from the South Korean government.
The panel's participants included the ambassador, the mayor, yeshiva head Rabbi Yosef Brook, and yeshiva students – among them doctors and science scholars – who discussed the importance of studying Torah among the haredi public.
Two of the speakers were Prof. Doron Aurbach, director of the Electrochemistry Group at Bar-Ilan University, and businessman Rami Feller – both students at the yeshiva.
Talmud as a birthday present
The ambassador said during the meeting that although Talmud is not part of compulsory studies in South Korea, it can be found in the bookcase of many of the country's residents, which total nearly 50,000 people.
He added that the Korean people show a lot of interest in the Jewish people's history.
"Jews have a high rate of Nobel Prize laureates in all fields: In literature, science and economics. It's an amazing achievement," the ambassador told Ynet in an interview about three months ago.
"We tried to understand the secret of the Jewish people. How do they – more than other nations – manage to reach such impressive achievements? How is it that Jews are such geniuses? The conclusion we reached is that one of your secrets is studying Talmud."
Young told his hosts that his wife had bought him all of the Talmud volumes as a birthday present.
- Follow Ynetnews on Facebook
