The event at Associação Paulista de Medicina marks the beginning of the roadshow for the 2026 edition, which will take place in October in Rio Grande do Sul.

The 3rd Jornada Médica Internacional of Erechim was officially launched on November 4 at the headquarters of Associação Paulista de Medicina (APM) in São Paulo. The event brought together representatives from the pharmaceutical and hospital sectors, medical organizations, leaders of the Jewish community, and authorities from Erechim, Quatro Irmãos, and AMAU, the Associação de Municípios do Alto Uruguai.

Scheduled for October 14, 15, and 16, 2026, the conference enters its third edition as one of Brazil's leading multidisciplinary medical gatherings, bringing together professionals from both the public and private sectors along with specialists from Canada, Israel, the United States, and Argentina.

The Conference on Knowledge and Memory

The conference is a joint initiative of the Instituto Cultural Judaico Marc Chagall, the Polo de Turismo Histórico Judaico de Quatro Irmãos e Região, and the Prefeitura de Erechim. It has the support of Inovamed Hospitalar, Unimed Erechim, URI – Universidade em Erechim, AMAU and AMBI – Associação Médica Brasil-Israel.

In addition to promoting the exchange of experiences and scientific updates among doctors, academics and students, the event's mission is also to support the restoration of the Hospital Israelita Leonardo Cohen, the first Jewish hospital in Brazil, founded in 1932 in the former Jewish Colony of Quatro Irmãos. Listed as a historical heritage site, the building today houses the Jewish Immigration Memorial, the first phase of which was opened to visitors in March 2024.

Launch in São Paulo and Next Steps

The launch in São Paulo marks the beginning of a national roadshow, which will continue with events in Erechim on January 20, 2026, in Brasília at the Congresso Nacional in partnership with the Frente Parlamentar da Medicina, and in Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, and Porto Alegre.

During the event, journalist Sérgio Lerrer, coordinator of the Medical Conference and Secretary of the Polo de Turismo Histórico Judaico de Quatro Irmãos e Região, presented the pillars of the initiative, highlighting the role of medicine as a driver of regional development, cultural connection, and historical preservation.

"The conference is more than a scientific event. It is a bridge between past and future, between knowledge and place, between health and identity," Lerrer said.

Participations and Testimonials

During the event, Erechim Health Secretary Vianei Muller said, "For us in Erechim, it is an honor to welcome nationally respected professionals to a city that serves as a regional healthcare reference and is home to a fully public SUS hospital."

The Mayor of Quatro Irmãos, João Paulo Balbinot, reinforced the historical value of the project: "The restoration of the Hospital Israelita Leonardo Cohen, the first Jewish hospital, is a historic milestone and an advance for Quatro Irmãos."

Dr. Viviane Rawett, president of AMBI, highlighted the institutional partnership with Jornada, while Jonathan Boni, commercial director of Inovamed Hospitalar, stated: "As a company in the medical-hospital sector, we are focused on helping to bring the industry into Jornada, contributing to the initiative gaining even more relevance and attracting more people to Erechim."

Also attending were Erechim Tourism Secretary Vianei Muller, Hospital Santa Terezinha Executive Director Rafael Ayub, and Dr. Eliezer Berenstein, who was born at Hospital Israelita Leonardo Cohen and shared a personal testimony.

The program also included a lecture by Dr. Marcelo Averbach, surgeon at Hospital Sírio-Libanês, about the Barco-Hospital project run by the NGO Zoé, which serves indigenous and riverside communities in the Amazon.

Overview Visits and Partnerships

After the official launch in São Paulo, the Jornada delegation carried out strategic visits to partner institutions in São Paulo. At Incor – Instituto do Coração, they were welcomed by Dr. Sergio Timerman, visiting the Hemodynamics center, humanization rooms such as Espaço Marisa Monte and the Digital Library.

At the Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde Albert Einstein, the group was received by Dean Dr. Nelson Wolosker, with a view to concluding agreements with Erechim educational institutions.

Closing the circuit, the delegation was received at the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein by the President of the Board of Directors, Dr. Claudio Lottenberg, who presented the principles of the institution, its operations in the SUS and the work of the Volunteer Center.

National Consolidation

Jornada Médica Internacional in Erechim is solidifying its place as one of the leading events in the region and in Brazil, bringing together Rio Grande do Sul, healthcare institutions, the medical community, and the Jewish community through an innovative and far-reaching initiative.

Jornada 2026 will promote the exchange of knowledge among healthcare professionals, faculty, and students, expanding a global and cross-disciplinary view of medicine while offering updates on new technologies and innovative practices from professionals in Brazil, including specialists from Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Sírio-Libanês, InCor, and Hospital das Clínicas, as well as peers from the United States, Canada, and Israel.

The event's scientific program is led by a committee of experts that includes geneticist Salmo Raskin, thoracic surgeon Milton Saute of Sheba Hospital in Israel, gastrointestinal surgeon Bruno Zilberstein, pathologist Vivi Rawett, and cardiologist Sergio Timerman.

The event will also include exhibition space for healthcare service providers and medical technology and equipment companies.

Nilton Wainer, president of the Instituto Cultural Judaico Marc Chagall, concludes: "We have supported Jornada Médica Internacional since the first edition because it is aligned with the mission of our Institute, which is to preserve and disseminate the Jewish historical and cultural memory of Rio Grande do Sul. The conference connects healthcare, history, and identity, all of which are deeply important themes in Jewish life. Seeing it expand nationally, beginning in São Paulo, reinforces our mission to strengthen initiatives that honor the legacy of the Jewish community and generate lasting social impact".