Israel’s junior cooking competition — known locally as MasterChef Yeladim (מאסטר שף ילדים) — aired as a single special season on Channel 2/Keshet in 2012, bringing 16 talented young cooks aged 8 to 14 into the country’s toughest kitchen.
Junior MasterChef Israel: Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Network | Keshet (Channel 2) |
| Year | 2012 |
| Age Range | 8 to 14 years old |
| Contestants | 16 young cooks |
| Winner | Daniel Tirosh (דניאל תירוש) |
| Judges | Haim Cohen, Eyal Shani, Yonatan Roshfeld, Michal Ansky |
Who Won Junior MasterChef Israel?
Daniel Tirosh, one of 16 talented young contestants between the ages of 8 and 14, was crowned the winner of MasterChef Yeladim (“MasterChef Kids”) in 2012. His win came during what Israeli media later described as a uniquely emotional season — kid contestants faced the same demanding panel of judges as the adult version, with younger cooks notably bringing both exceptional technical skill and real emotional vulnerability to the competition.
The season fell between the regular adult editions of MasterChef Israel — airing after Season 2 (won by Avi Levi) and before Season 3 (won by Tom Franz) — as a standalone special rather than a numbered mainline season.
The Judges
The Junior season was judged by the same formidable panel that defined the main adult series during this era:
- Haim Cohen — one of Israel’s most respected chefs, a constant judge across the franchise’s earliest seasons
- Eyal Shani — internationally recognized Israeli chef and restaurateur
- Yonatan Roshfeld — chef, judged seasons 2 through 6 of the adult series
- Michal Ansky — food critic and judge, a fixture across nearly every season of the franchise, including the All-Stars editions
Israeli media coverage at the time noted just how intimidating it was for contestants as young as 10 to stand in front of judges like Eyal Shani and Yonatan Roshfeld and defend their dishes — a dynamic that made the Kids season especially memorable for viewers.
How the Competition Worked
Much like the adult format, young contestants faced mystery box challenges, team cook-offs, and elimination rounds judged on taste, technique and presentation — a genuinely demanding format for cooks so young, requiring them to explain their culinary choices under real pressure in front of the country’s toughest culinary critics.
MasterChef Israel: The Bigger Picture
To put the Junior season in context, MasterChef Israel’s main adult series has run for over a decade with these champions:
| Season | Winner |
|---|---|
| 1 (2010) | Ina Kravetsky |
| 2 (2011) | Avi Levi |
| Kids Season (2012) | Daniel Tirosh |
| 3 (2013) | Tom Franz |
| 4 (2014) | Nof Atamna-Ismail |
| VIP Season | Shai Avivi |
| 5 (2015) | Massimiliano Di Matteo |
| 6 (2016) | Tom Aviv |
| 7 (2017–18) | Yehuda Amar |
| 8 (2019) | Vanessa Vidal Avitan |
| VIP Special | Itay Levi |
| 9 (2020–22) | Itayela Hyatt |
| 10 (2022) | Hillel Gardi |
| 11 (2024) | Natalie Mizrahi Amral |
The show was renewed for a 12th season in 2025, and has won Israel’s “Best Reality Program” award at the Israeli Television Academy Awards in both 2015 and 2017.
FAQs
How many seasons of Junior MasterChef Israel have aired? Just one — the “Kids Season” aired as a standalone special in 2012, and was never repeated as a numbered franchise entry.
Who won Junior MasterChef Israel? Daniel Tirosh won the 2012 Kids Season.
What age group competed in Junior MasterChef Israel? Contestants were aged 8 to 14.
Who judged the Junior season? The same core panel as the adult series at the time — Haim Cohen, Eyal Shani, Yonatan Roshfeld, and Michal Ansky.
Is there a Celebrity or VIP edition of MasterChef Israel too? Yes — Israel has run multiple VIP/celebrity specials, including a win by actor Shai Avivi and singer Itay Levi.