MOR 2026: Day 5 – Thursday, January 22, 2026

Early Childhood as the Foundation of Resilience and the Future

The final day of MOR 2026 opened with a focus on early childhood education, presenting WIZO’s worldview that sees the early years as a central foundation for personal, family, and societal resilience. Within this framework, WIZO day care centers are understood as the first and most significant educational space shaping the future of children, families, and communities.

The final day of MOR 2026 opened with a focus on early childhood education, presenting WIZO’s worldview that sees the early years as a central foundation for personal, family, and societal resilience. Within this framework, WIZO day care centers are understood as the first and most significant educational space shaping the future of children, families, and communities.

The session began with inspiring addresses by Prof. Lea Kacen, Chairperson of WIZO’s Early Childhood Education Division, and Keren Kamerinsky, Director, Early Childhood Education Division. Both spoke about quality, professionalism, and resilience in WIZO’s day care centers, and about the long-term vision for developing the field and the teams working within it.

In her remarks, Prof. Kacen emphasized that the central challenge facing early childhood education today is the transition from an intuitive approach to a professional model grounded in knowledge, research, and measurable standards. She highlighted WIZO’s leadership in advancing deep systemic change in the training of early childhood educators, in professional recognition, and in improving their status — based on the understanding that educational and caregiving quality depends first and foremost on the quality, training, and support of the people working within the system.

Keren Kamerinsky presented a complementary vision that integrates continuous professional development, strengthening the management and supervisory structure, and deepening partnerships with parents and local communities. She described the day care center as a holistic educational-emotional space that supports not only the child, but also families and professional teams.

The session continued with a panel moderated by Stav Saad, Deputy Director of the Early Childhood Education Division, offering participants a firsthand look into daily life in WIZO day care centers across Israel. The panel featured educators and parents whose voices reflected the realities of the field.

Among the speakers was Yaffa Davidov, an educator-caregiver at WIZO Refael Day Care Center in Kiryat Yam and a student in WIZO’s dedicated academic program, who received an excellence award last year from the Levinsky–Wingate Academic Center. Yaffa shared her professional transition from nursing to early childhood education and spoke about the meaningful connection between academic learning and daily practice in the classroom.

She was joined by Shiran Ephraim, Director of the WIZO day care center in Acre, who described the complex managerial and emotional challenges of leading a team and supporting families during wartime. Roni Shpiltani-Horowitz, a mother whose toddler attends the North Star Day Care Center in Tel Aviv, shared a parental perspective on the personal attention, sensitivity, and educational care her daughter receives.

Together, the panel underscored the direct connection between sustained investment in the professional development of educators and directors and the well-being of young children and their families.

The session concluded with remarks by Marsel Asulin, CEO of WIZO, who addressed the significant challenges facing early childhood education today, the scale of change required in the field, and the impressive work WIZO is leading to advance quality, professionalism, and resilience in early childhood education across Israel.

Day 5 of MOR 2026 closed with a clear message: investing in early childhood is not only an educational priority, but a societal responsibility. Through vision, professional leadership, and sustained commitment, WIZO continues to build the foundations for a stronger, more resilient future — from the very first years of life.