Rabbi Simcha Raphael, Ph.D.
Description
About Rabbi Simcha Raphael
Rabbi Simcha Raphael, Ph.D. is the Founding Director of the DA'AT Institute for Death Awareness, Advocacy and Training, where he brings together scholarship, spiritual care, and compassionate dialogue around end-of-life issues. Based in the Philadelphia area, he also works as a psychotherapist and spiritual director, supporting individuals through meaningful inner work and life transitions. He serves on the faculty of the Art of Dying Institute of One Spirit Learning Alliance and was ordained as a pastoral Rabbi by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi.
Widely recognized for his contributions to Jewish thought on death and the afterlife, he has published seven books on death and Judaism, including the influential Jewish Views of the Afterlife. His forthcoming poetry collection, Musings with the Angel of Death: Poems of Love, Life and Longing, reflects the same depth, sensitivity, and contemplative insight that shape his teaching. Rabbi Simcha Raphael earned his doctorate in Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies.