Meet The Team
Neshomo is a Jewish, culturally sensitive, confidential mental health charity for adults. We strive to be accessible, welcoming and accepting of all. Our goal is to improve emotional wellbeing and reduce stigma within the Manchester Jewish Community.
Befriending
Racheli Bass
Outreach Worker
In her role as Senior Outreach Worker, Racheli manages the Befriending Service. She is the first point of contact for women seeking support.
Originally from Israel, Racheli Bass has been living in Manchester since 2005 with her family. After graduating with a BSc Psychology & Counselling, PGDip Applied Psychology and MA Counselling, she started her own counselling service. Racheli volunteered as Befriender for Neshomo before joining their professional team in 2020.
Aron Karner
Outreach Worker
In his role as Outreach Worker, Aron assists in managing the Male Befriending service. He is the first point of contact for men seeking support.
Aron is a Gestalt Therapist with a wealth of clinical work experience and internships in public services and private practice. He has experience of voluntary and work roles in a variety of countries worldwide helping and supporting people.
Zahava Smith
Assistant Outreach Worker
In her role as Assistant Outreach Worker, Zahava assists in managing the Female Befriending Service
Zahava is a Person Centred Psychotherapist, specialising in bereavement, anxiety and relationship issues.
Zahava has extensive experience in the voluntary sector
for AgeUK as well as working for JAMH.
Zahava speaks 5 languages fluently (English, Yiddish, French, Hebrew and Dutch) which has proven to be a valuable resource when dealing with people from foreign countries.
Zahava is a member of BACP
Yaakov Book
Outreach Worker
Yaacov is an integrative counsellor who qualified with a BSc in Integrative Counselling. This approach focuses on looking at all the varied facets of the client’s personality and circumstances that make up their unique journey. Yaacov has many years of experience in assisting teenagers and young adults in the community. Yaacov also owns and manages several businesses in the retail sector bringing fresh energy and ideas to the Neshomo team
Social Support Project
Estelle Gillis
Link Worker
Estelle is an external observer and advisor for Neshomo. She has initiated several processes used within this service and has strong links with various community resources both statutory and non-statutory.
Professional background:
Estelle recently retired from her position as Senior Practitioner for Occupational Therapy within the Mental Health Services of Salford. Estelle worked within the NHS in Occupational Therapy for over 37 years in a variety of mental health clinical settings. She is a volunteer for many organisations, engaging with various ages. She has a DipCOT (Diploma of College of Occupational Therapy) and is HCPC registered.
Jodie Pereira
Female Support Worker
Jodie has a degree in Applied Consumer Studies from Salford University. She has worked in different roles within the Jewish community for the past 14 years, including working at Keren as a key worker supporting girls practically and emotionally. She has also worked as a University Chaplain with part of the role involved counselling and advising students dealing with mental health related issues.
Debra Frazer
Support Worker & Supervisor
Debra Frazer is Senior Support Worker. She also acts as a Supervisor for the other Support Workers.
Debra has been working in the mental health field for over ten years helping people with depression and anxiety. For the past five years she has been involved supporting those with long term mental health conditions.
Debra works with more complex cases using goal orientated strategies similar to those used in Cognitive Behavioural Therapies but adjusted for the needs of the individual cases.
Her work is short term and her work with clients can be concurrent with other Support workers or Befrienders.
Hilary Adler
Female Support Worker
Coming soon
Administration
Elisheva Kahan
Admin & Network
Elisheva is the Administrator for Neshomo. She ensures the smooth running of our service, in particular making sure that our befrienders are DBS checked and references are checked.
Elisheva also organises the Network meetings.
Elisheva has a wide range of experience in administrative and organisational skills.
Leah Raffles
Project & Fund Manager
Leah works "behind the scenes" to apply for grant funding. She helps in any way needed to set up, coordinate and facilitate the smooth running of Neshomo's projects.
Leah is a qualified social worker and has a PhD in Applied Social Science. She has been project manager for a Children’s Centre and has worked in a variety of fields in and out of the charity and education sector.