The UK branch of a leading Israeli NGO treating people suffering from trauma has appointed the former chair of Jewish Women’s Aid as its new CEO.
Caroline Ratner will be taking the helm at UK Friends of NATAL after six years on the board of JWA, which supports women and children affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence.
Ratner, who has a background in PR, said: “It is an honour to lead UK Friends of NATAL at such a critical time. NATAL’s work is based on principles that are close to my heart – compassion, healing, resilience and empowerment. I’m excited to start raising awareness, cultivating partnerships and raising much needed funds to ensure that trauma survivors in Israel receive the support they need.”
She added that with the exponential growth in mental health needs in Israel following October 7, the hostage crisis and the ongoing conflict, NATAL’s work was more critical now than ever, and many in the UK Jewish community who had ties to Israel or who were fearful about the rise in antisemitism, were feeling “a new and often overwhelming proximity to trauma”.
Alan Jacobs, chair of trustees, said: “Caroline’s leadership experience at Jewish Women’s Aid and her ability to connect and inspire will be key to growing our support and impact at a time when trauma and resilience are front and centre for so many, both in Israel and in the UK.”
Founded in 1998, NATAL has since provided psychological assistance to over 500,000 people from all sectors of Israeli society.
In the lead-up to Yom Hazikaron, it ran a campaign fronted by a striking image of someone trying to delete a distressing photo from their phone, with the words: “You can’t delete post-trauma, but you can grow from it.”
