MOR 2026: Day 4 – Wednesday, January 21, 2026 | Part 1: WIZO Israel

Volunteers at the Heart of Resilience and Recovery

The first half of Day 4 of MOR 2026 was dedicated to WIZO Israel and to the people who form its beating heart: volunteers. Against the backdrop of an ongoing national crisis, the session focused on how communities across Israel are responding to trauma, loss, and instability — not in theory, but in real time, through sustained civic action.

Although the original plan was to host participants in WIZO Israel branches in Zichron Yaakov and Daliyat al-Carmel, security considerations required the program to be adapted, due to the lack of adequate bomb shelters and protected spaces in the event of rocket fire. This reality — of flexibility, improvisation, and resilience — reflects daily life in Israel and the work of WIZO Israel’s branches, many of which are forced at times to cancel or relocate essential activities precisely during moments of heightened fear and instability, when community support is most urgently needed.

Opening the session, Michal Danin Hollander, Director of WIZO Israel, welcomed delegates and framed the morning around presence, responsibility, and leadership. She spoke candidly about the long shadow cast by October 7, emphasizing that while the immediate emergency phase may have passed, its emotional and social impact is far from over. Trauma, she noted, continues to affect survivors, bereaved families, evacuees, and entire communities — and will remain part of Israeli society for years to come.

Michal shared a story from a visit to a southern branch, where a volunteer whose grandson survived the Nova festival but later died by suicide described volunteering as the reason she finds the strength to get up each morning. The story underscored a central truth of WIZO Israel’s work: volunteering is not only an act of giving, but also a source of resilience and meaning for those who give, as well as for those who receive.

WIZO Israel operates as a nationwide civic movement rooted in local communities. With 38 branches across the country and approximately 2,400 volunteers contributing an estimated 660,000 volunteer hours annually, the organization responds to emerging needs from the ground up — identifying gaps, building frameworks, and sustaining long-term support. Since the outbreak of the war, volunteers have continued their work under extraordinary circumstances: operating during rocket sirens, relocating activities to private homes or hotels for evacuees, and supporting women and children even while coping with personal loss.

The program was presented through the voices of volunteers themselves, as well as participants in WIZO Israel programs, highlighting the human infrastructure that enables resilience and recovery. Ora Korazim, Chairperson of WIZO Israel, emphasized that volunteers are not simply those who run programs — they are WIZO, in the spirit and vision of the movement’s founders. Their leadership, commitment, and deep connection to their communities are what transform initiatives into meaningful, life-changing impact.

One flagship program highlighted during the session was “An Hour with a Child,” operating in 25 branches and supporting nearly 600 children through weekly one-on-one meetings. For many children, particularly in a period of widespread national trauma, this hour is the only consistent space where they are truly seen. Through patience, presence, and trust, volunteers help children regain emotional stability and confidence, one relationship at a time.

Participants heard from Lucy Halun, a long-time volunteer from Daliyat al-Carmel, who shared how accompanying one child through this program not only changed his life, but helped restore her own sense of purpose after years of personal hardship. Her story illustrated the reciprocal power of volunteering — how care flows in both directions.

The session also highlighted Safety Net Communities, a program supporting women and children who have exited cycles of domestic violence and are rebuilding their lives. WIZO currently operates 11 Safety Net communities across Israel, supporting approximately 200 women and 600 children. These communities are led by volunteers who act not as external helpers, but as partners in the rebuilding process.

The voices of this program were heard through Hila, a participant from Hadera, and Sarah Reiner, a veteran volunteer and community leader. Together, they shared a story of survival, trust, and gradual rebuilding — demonstrating how consistent community support can help transform lives marked by violence into lives defined by strength, independence, and hope.

As the WIZO Israel session concluded, the message was clear: recovery depends on strong community infrastructure — trained volunteers, accessible and safe spaces, and long-term partnerships that allow programs to continue and expand. Investing in volunteers is not optional; it is essential.

The first half of Day 4 offered a powerful reminder that WIZO Israel’s impact lives in branches, in relationships, and in the daily presence of women who choose, again and again, to show up — for their communities and for Israeli society as a whole.