Mor Levy, Head Nurse of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Hadassah Ein Kerem, was deeply surprised when she received a phone call informing her that she had been selected as a recipient of the 2026 President’s Award for Nurses.

“I knew I had been nominated, and that alone was incredibly moving,” she says. “But I never imagined I would be chosen from among all the candidates. The phone call came as a complete shock. I told the representative from the Nursing Administration at the Ministry of Health that first of all, I needed to sit down and process the news.”

Mor began her journey at Hadassah nine years ago as a nursing student at the Henrietta Szold Hadassah-Hebrew University School of Nursing.

 “Even back then, as a student, I was assigned to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Hadassah Ein Kerem. When I completed my clinical rotation, and later my bachelor’s degree in nursing, I knew I had found my place. I didn’t want to hear about any other department and asked to join the unit. Thankfully, ever since then, I’ve been here, doing meaningful and fulfilling work for babies, children, and their families.”

Later in her career, Mor completed advanced post-basic training in pediatric intensive care nursing. For the past three years, she has served as Head Nurse of the department, which treats children suffering from a wide range of severe illnesses and critical conditions — including many measles patients who were transferred to the unit in extremely complex situations.

Caring for these patients requires extensive clinical expertise and the use of advanced technologies, including ECMO life-support systems.

 “I fulfill my calling every single day, and to me, there is no better job,” she emphasizes. “It’s true that this is a demanding profession, caring for children in critical condition. But knowing that we, as a complete team, are treating them, healing them, and quite literally saving lives, balances every challenge.

 “Over the years here, I’ve learned that children recover from even the most complex situations. We have the ability to help them heal and improve, and they constantly surprise us with their resilience and capacity to recover.”

Mor says that one of her core professional beliefs is that the family is an active partner in the caregiving team, and she works to involve parents throughout every stage of treatment.

“It starts with the information we make sure to provide — sometimes highly detailed and medical — and gradually they become involved in the hands-on care as well. I believe there is nothing harder for a parent than sitting beside their child in intensive care, which is why we invest enormous attention in supporting and accompanying them throughout the process. Even asking a mother how she slept at night can completely change her emotional experience.

 “I am deeply proud to receive this recognition from the President of Israel, and it is incredibly empowering to know that people truly see the intensive work being done here. I dedicate this award to the team of 60 nurses in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Hadassah Ein Kerem — a team I love with all my heart. Our ability to treat, heal, and support both the children and their parents is entirely thanks to them.”

 Dr. Rely Alon, Deputy Director of Nursing and Allied Health Professions at Hadassah, added: “This recognition reflects a path of excellence that combines professionalism with deep empathy and humanity. That is Mor’s way, and it represents the Hadassah spirit at its very best.”