Krembo Wings
An Israeli youth movement creating inclusive social activities for children and young people with and without disabilities.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Krembo Wings is an Israeli youth movement and social organization serving children and young people with disabilities alongside nondisabled youth. Its weekly activities are designed for participants roughly seven to 22 years old and bring together people with physical, cognitive, and other disabilities from diverse cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The movement operates through local branches across Israel, with activities led primarily by teenage volunteers and supported by a small adult team. The organization was founded in 2002 by Adi Altschuler, who was 16 at the time, after her earlier volunteer experience with children with disabilities. Altschuler was particularly influenced by her relationship with Kfir Kobi, a young boy with cerebral palsy, and by the experience of his mother, Claudia Kobi. Together they established the first branch in Hod Hasharon as a small group for disabled and nondisabled children. The initiative subsequently developed into a nationwide youth movement. Krembo Wings is built around the idea that children with disabilities should have an ordinary social life, meaningful friendships, and opportunities to participate in their communities. Its inclusion model places children and youth with disabilities in group activities while providing individual tutoring and support. Teen counselors receive preparation for accessible and inclusive programming. Branch-level adult support generally includes an adult coordinator, often a university student, and a care worker responsible for members’ personal and hygienic needs. The movement’s name refers to Krembo, a popular Israeli confection that is traditionally wrapped by hand because of its delicate structure. According to the organization’s account, counselors brought Krembo treats during the movement’s first year because they were easy for many children with special needs to eat. The treat became a metaphor for individualized care: each person is treated as if carefully wrapped and valued. The wings represent the organization’s ambition to help children rise above the limitations imposed by disability and social exclusion. Krembo Wings has expanded from its original local group to a broad Israeli network. Reference material describes approximately 100 branches, while another account identifies 92 branches and about 9,000 members; these figures likely reflect different reporting dates or counting methods. Branches serve communities from varied backgrounds, including Jewish, Arab, and Bedouin communities. The movement also runs an accessible summer camp and maintains a training center offering lectures and educational seminars about inclusion to organizations and companies. Its stated values include love of one’s fellow person, friendship and mutual commitment, leadership and responsibility, Israeli civic identity, ability and independence, and belonging through inclusion and reciprocity. Krembo Wings received recognition for volunteerism, leadership, and social contribution during the 2000s and 2010s. In 2018, the United Nations selected it for special consultative or advisory status, reflecting the organization’s international recognition as an inclusion-focused civil-society body.
History
Krembo Wings began in 2002 when Adi Altschuler, then 16 years old, developed an initiative for children with and without disabilities. Her motivation was shaped by volunteering with ILAN and by her relationship with Kfir Kobi, a young child with cerebral palsy who later died. Altschuler and Kfir’s mother, Claudia Kobi, established the first branch in Hod Hasharon. What started as a small group gradually became a youth movement with branches throughout Israel. The movement’s central innovation was to make inclusion a youth activity rather than an adult-administered service alone. Teenagers serve as counselors and lead the regular programming, while adult coordinators and care workers provide operational and personal support. The activities are structured around group participation combined with individual tutoring, allowing members with different abilities and support needs to take part together. Counselors are trained to adapt activities and create accessible environments. The organization’s name emerged from an early activity in which counselors brought Krembo treats for the children. Because the confection is delicate and traditionally wrapped by hand, it became a symbol of the way each participant should be handled with care and recognized as an individual. The wings in the name express the movement’s aspiration to enable children and young people to transcend social and practical barriers associated with disability. Krembo Wings expanded substantially during the 2000s. In 2009, it was reported to have eight branches and 273 members. Later descriptions record a network of approximately 92 branches and around 9,000 members, while other material describes about 100 branches. The branches serve communities across Israel and include participants from Jewish, Arab, Bedouin, and other cultural backgrounds. This geographic and social reach is central to the movement’s identity as an inclusive Israeli youth framework rather than a program limited to one disability group or one community. Alongside weekly branch activities, Krembo Wings offers an accessible summer camp and operates a training center. The training center provides seminars and lectures on inclusion for external organizations and companies, extending the movement’s expertise beyond its own membership. The organization’s stated principles emphasize love, friendship, mutual commitment, leadership, responsibility, independence, belonging, and inclusion. The movement received several Israeli honors for volunteering, leadership, and social contribution. It received the Ramon Signal, then known as the Tamari Signal, in 2004; the Bernstein Letter for volunteering and social leadership in 2005; and recognition connected with Israel’s 60th Independence Day in 2008, when a representative lit a beacon. In 2009, Adi Altschuler and Krembo Wings received the Presidential Award for Volunteerism. Further recognition followed with a Southern District Education Ministry award in 2013 and the Yigal Alon Award in 2014. In 2018, the United Nations granted the organization special advisory status. Krembo Wings remains active as an Israeli youth movement focused on social participation and disability inclusion.
- 2018
Receives United Nations special advisory status
[1]The United Nations selected Krembo Wings as a special advisor organization.
- 2014
Receives the Yigal Alon Award
[1]Krembo Wings received the Yigal Alon Award in recognition of its social contribution.
- 2013
Receives Southern District Education Ministry recognition
[1]The movement received an award from the Southern District of Israel’s Ministry of Education for its contribution to social life and inclusion.
- 2009
Receives Presidential Award for Volunteerism
[1]Adi Altschuler and Krembo Wings received the Presidential Award for Volunteerism.
- 2009
Reaches eight branches
[1]The movement was reported to have eight branches and 273 members, demonstrating its development beyond the original local group.
- 2008
Representative lights an Independence Day beacon
[1]A representative of the organization lit a beacon during celebrations marking Israel’s 60th Independence Day.
- 2005
Receives the Bernstein Letter
[1]Krembo Wings was recognized with the Bernstein Letter for volunteering and social leadership.
- 2004
Receives the Ramon Signal
[1]The movement received the Ramon Signal, formerly called the Tamari Signal, for quality, leadership, and excellence.
- 2002
First Krembo Wings branch established
[1]Adi Altschuler and Claudia Kobi established the movement’s first branch in Hod Hasharon for children with and without disabilities.
Products and positioning
A youth-led Israeli inclusion movement that combines social belonging, volunteer leadership, and individualized support for children and young people with disabilities.
Youth inclusion program · 2002
Weekly branch activities
Regular social activities for children and young people approximately seven to 22 years old, including participants with physical, cognitive, and other disabilities. Programs are conducted in group settings with individualized tutoring and are led by trained teenage volunteers.
Residential and recreational program
Accessible summer camp
A summer camp designed to make recreational and social participation accessible to members with different disabilities and support requirements.
Training and education
Inclusion training center
Educational seminars and lectures for organizations and companies seeking to understand or improve disability inclusion and accessible participation.
Recent events
- 2018
Krembo Wings receives United Nations special advisory status[1]
Other
Krembo Wings was selected by the United Nations as a special advisor organization, recognizing its work in disability inclusion and youth-led community activity.
Krembo Wings expands its nationwide branch network[1]
Other
The movement grew from its first Hod Hasharon group into a network of roughly 92 to 100 branches serving communities across Israel.
Sources2 sources
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