Dr. Luiz Lorch, a prominent gynecologist and obstetrician who founded the first congregation for Jewish refugees from central Europe here in 1936–the Congrecacao Israelita Paulista–died Saturday at the age of 75. Another prominent Brazilian who died Saturday was Julio Mesquita Filho, director of Brazil’s largest newspaper, O Estado De Sao Paulo, who was a recipient of the B’nai B’rith medal for human rights in 1967.
Dr. Lorch was born in Mainz, Germany. The congregation he established became the largest of its type in Brazil. He was also instrumental in the development of Sao Paulo’s modern Jewish community. He represented the Joint Distribution Committee here for many years.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.