Chair of Jewish mental health charity to step down

Prominent community leader Doug Krikler has announced that he is stepping down as chair of Jewish mental health charity Jami.

Krikler, a past chief executive of UK-Israel charity UJIA and director of the Community Security Trust (CST) who now manages the Portland Trust, said his six-year tenure at Jami had been “a privilege”.

He oversaw the charity’s partnership with Jewish Care and helped raise its profile. In a statement this week, he said: “The continued increase in referrals demonstrates Jami’s impact in raising awareness and challenging stigma around mental health within the Jewish community.”

Jami chief executive Laurie Rackind thanked Krikler for his “invaluable leadership and support,” adding: “Under Doug’s guidance, Jami has undergone significant transformation and continues to evolve.”

Rackind said the charity had “begun the process of recruiting a new chair, as well as new trustees to add to the board,” adding that it would be working closely with the Jewish Volunteering Network and the Jewish Leadership Council’s leadership development team to fill the top table gaps.