18/04/2021
It has the support of none other than gay actor and thespian Stephen Fry. And it's been providing support to its community for more than forty years. It's called Raphael and it is a non-profit private counselling service by and for Jewish people. Gaby Koppell writing in this week's Jewish Chronicle says that the organisation was founded by Irene Bloomfeld, who was a psychoanalyst and a member of Reform Judaism, a branch of the religion that has long supported the concerns and identity of LGBT Jews. Today, that tradition has continued, but Raphael's work is also recognised by conservative and orthodox branches of Judaism. As Koppel writes, Judaism is often thought of as linked with the psychodynamic mental health movement as so many practitioners and philosophers of psychoanalysis have been Jewish. A Jewish specific service, just as with African-Caribbean and LGBTQ counselling services, can sometimes be relatable to by a client in a way that mainstream organisations can't quite reach. A link to Raphael is on our website.
https://www.raphaeljewishcounselling.org/
