WIZO Education Division: Maintaining Stability, Care, and Continuity in Times of War - WIZO - Women`s International Zionist`s Organization - social services Skip to content Join us Donate As the impact of Operation Roaring Lion disrupted daily life across Israel, WIZO’s Education Division continued to provide stability and continuity, for children and youth in highly complex and uncertain conditions. Since the outbreak of the operation, approximately 200 students remained in WIZO youth villages, including Youth Aliyah participants, Na’ale students (youth who immigrate to Israel before their parents), and residents of emergency frameworks — many of whom do not have immediate family support in Israel. For these students, the youth village is not only an educational setting, but their home. While most boarding school students returned to their families in accordance with Home Front Command guidelines, those without a home to return to remained on campus. WIZO teams provided them with a full daily framework from morning to night, including educational, social, and recreational activities adapted to the security situation, aimed at reducing stress and strengthening both personal and group resilience. In some locations, students were required to sleep in protected spaces due to repeated alarms. Despite these conditions, they demonstrated strong resilience while maintaining full adherence to safety guidelines. At the same time, staff carried a dual responsibility — supporting the students on-site while also maintaining communication with parents abroad. Maintaining Connection and Preventing Risk For students who returned home, maintaining connection became critical. Extended periods without structured educational frameworks can increase emotional distress and exposure to risk, particularly among vulnerable youth. In response, WIZO teams operated continuously to stay in close contact through phone calls, Zoom meetings, home visits, and ongoing communication with families. In cases of significant difficulty at home or lack of adequate protection, students were brought back to the boarding schools with approval from the Ministry of Education. This ensured that the boarding school continued to function as both an educational and physical safe space when needed. Full Capacity in Welfare and Therapeutic Frameworks At the same time, WIZO’s welfare frameworks operated at full capacity , including emergency centers, Neve WIZO, and WIZO Hadassah Children’s Village , a post-hospitalization residential setting. These frameworks serve children and youth with complex emotional and mental health needs, for whom returning home is not an option. Since the beginning of the war, they have remained fully operational, providing continuous professional and human support under intensified conditions. Staff faced the combined challenge of a national emergency alongside the personal realities of the children, requiring constant adaptability to maintain routine, stability, and therapeutic care. Education and Connection from a Distance WIZO’s schools transitioned to remote learning, with a focus extending beyond academic continuity. Educational teams worked to maintain personal connections with students, monitor their well-being, and provide a sense of structure, belonging, and stability. The goal was not only to continue learning, but to strengthen resilience, hope, and optimism during an ongoing period of disruption. A Milestone of Belonging: Na’ale Students Become Citizens Amid the challenges, meaningful milestones continued. Na’ale students in 12th grade at WIZO youth villages, including Nachlat Yehuda and Nahalal, received Israeli citizenship. These are young people who chose to come to Israel independently at an early age and build their future in the country. For them, receiving an Israeli ID was not only a formal step, but a powerful expression of belonging and identity, particularly significant in a time of national crisis, as they prepare for the next stage of integration into Israeli society. International Women’s Day in Educational Frameworks On March 8, WIZO marked International Women’s Day across all educational frameworks, including in remote formats. The program, built around the theme “Initiate. Act. Influence.” , emphasized the role of girls and women in shaping society, particularly in times of crisis. Activities focused on leadership, gender equality, and social involvement, while encouraging open and meaningful discussion adapted to the current reality. The program highlighted women’s contributions to Israeli society and reinforced the importance of equality as part of building a resilient future. Education as an Anchor of Stability Across all frameworks, one principle guided WIZO’s work: education is not only about learning, but about providing stability, protection, and a sense of belonging. Whether through youth villages, welfare institutions, or remote learning, WIZO ensured that children and youth remained connected, supported, and seen. In a month shaped by ongoing conflict and uncertainty, the Education Division demonstrated the essential role of educational frameworks as anchors of resilience — maintaining continuity, strengthening connection, and supporting the next generation through a complex and evolving reality. Other articles WIZO Israel – Sustaining Community Resilience in Times of War Across the country, volunteers and professional teams are providing direct, hands-on support Women Under Fire, Women Moving Forward: Support, Resilience, and Change in Times of War The prolonged reality of war has deeply affected daily life on the home front Early Childhood Under Fire: Continuity, Care, and Professional Strength The youngest members of Israeli society remain supported, protected, and cared for. International Women’s Day 2026: Women in Action, Even in Times of War Women don’t wait. They act. The Sovereignty of Responsibility: A New Phenomenology of Jewish Freedom We have just concluded a historic Meeting of Representatives, and the energy in the room was a clear signal of our future. Passover in a Time of War: Responsibility, Unity, and Hope MOR Week concluded successfully, and its echoes continue to accompany us even after our friends have returned to their home countries. Subscribe to our newsletters and keep up to date on everything WIZO Follow on Instagram Watch Our Videos WIZO Photo Resource Like on Facebook Connect on LinkedIn Hebrew site Website Policies Contact WIZO has earned the Midot Seal of Effectiveness, the gold standard for efficiency, transparency, and creation of social value for Israeli non-profit organizations. Created by Consent management Our website uses cookies for proper operation, to improve your experience, for statistical analysis and to display personalized advertisements. You can choose whether to allow all types of cookies or to reject them. For more information: Functional Always active The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Preferences Preferences The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Statistics Statistics The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Marketing Marketing The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes View preferences {title} {title} {title} Scroll to Top