When the Hadassah Medical Organization mission that traveled to Argentina to share its expertise in battling COVID-19 first arrived, its members were welcomed at a reception by DAIA, the umbrella organization of Argentina’s Jewish community. In attendance at the Icon Alvear Hotel in Puerto Madero were Jorge Knoblovitz, DAIA president; Ariel Eichbaum, the president of AMIA (Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina), the Jewish Community Center located in Buenos Aires; Israel Ambassador to Argentina Galit Ronen; Argentina’s Ambassador to Israel Sergio Urribarri; Cecilia Nicolini, advisor to President Alberto Fernandez; and Alejandro Kelman, president of Hadassah Argentina.

During the reception, Hadassah International Executive Director Jorge Diener spoke about Hadassah’s humanitarian mission to share its medical knowledge with the world and to build bridges through health care. DAIA authorities thanked the delegation for choosing Argentina for the implementation of phase III clinical trial of the Brilife vaccine, developed jointly by Hadassah and the Israeli Institute for Biological Research. They related that there are already many members of the Jewish community who have volunteered to participate.

Mr. Diener comments, “This is an extraordinary historical moment for the cooperation between Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem and Argentina, when the world needs bridges to health, with all of us working together.”