A charity has been set up to support sufferers of Crohn's disease, particularly those in the strictly Orthodox community.
Crohn's Colitis Relief will encourage people with Crohn's to seek treatment.
Ashkenazi Jews are four times more likely to develop the digestive condition than the wider population.
Levi Shapiro, the sufferer behind the charity, said there was a stigma in the Charedi community around the illness which prevented people seeking medical help.
Mr Shapiro said on Monday: "When I was 13 I was constantly very ill. Doctors sent me home with a tummy ache and some paracetamol.
"I don't want any child to suffer the way I did, which is why I have set up CCR.
“Until now the community has not had something that creates awareness for IDB suffers, but it is very common.”
He said Charedi sufferers were worried that admitting to having the illness would stop them getting married or starting a family.
“People think ‘oh no I can’t talk about it because I won’t find a wife’ or young women who suffer and have treatment, worry they won’t be able to have a family.
“But that is just not true. With the right support and treatment people can live a comfortable life and do all the things they want to.”
Doctor Sarah McCarteny, from University College Hospital, said she welcomed the launch of new charity.
“We have a lot of Jewish patients and the number of young people who are affected is going up.
“We are very keen to support the Jewish community who suffer with the condition so organisations like the CCR are great. We want to work closely with them.
“It is really important there is more awareness out there and people get an early diagnosis because that can be key in getting the right treatment.”
She added: “We find Doctors in the community are very good at referring people because they know it affects Jews more commonly, but it is about encouraging people not to suffer in silence.”
Based in Stamford Hill, CCR will serve the wider Jewish community.
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