Part VII
Israel Unwired (https://www.israelunwired.com/)
Israel Unwired is part of the most effective network distributing online videos about Israel and the Jewish people today. Its goal is to educate, inspire, and entertain via fresh, high-quality video and article content.
Today’s conflict is on two fronts—the military front and the public opinion front. The main driving force for public opinion today is social media and online activity. Israel Unwired serves as a voice for Israel and the Jewish people that mainstream media rarely feature. At this point, hundreds of thousands of people are being reached every day across social media channels. That places Israel Unwired at the forefront of impacting individuals worldwide about Israel and the Jewish people.
This distribution network for Israel videos was formed in 2011 by an organizational psychologist/movie producer and an online advertising manager. Together with a talented staff, they developed a fluid social media strategy. The network has amassed over one million social media followers.
In the coming years, Israel Unwired plans to move beyond the English language and into other languages. Its partners are the thousands of video producers who create unique videos about Israel. These are the people who often create works of art that don’t receive sufficient exposure.
Israel Unwired is here to assist with the distribution.
“We are here to make sure that no excellent short or long video stays hidden for long. Connecting people to Israel is our goal. Quality video content is the primary method.”
OpenDor Media (https://opendormedia.org/about/)
OpenDor Media’s mission is to throw open the doors of Jewish and Israeli history and culture to the connected generation. Dor means “generation” in Hebrew—underscoring our belief that education is a generational phenomenon, passed on through historical narrative from parent to child, and from teacher to student.
“We are proud of our Jewish heritage and identity and excited to embrace our role in helping to ensure the continuity of future generations through high quality, film-based educational content.”
Media is the universal language of our generation. Young people today were born into a world with smartphones, streaming media and social networks. Today’s teens use their phones for entertainment for an average of nine hours each day. Connecting with them means being where they are.
Today we live and breathe in time with streaming video, TV, podcasts, articles and social media. Like a reflex, young and old alike reach for smartphones when they are curious about anything.
It is the most effective way to tell a story, evoke emotion and make an impact.
54 % of teens get their news from social media.
50 % of teens get news from YouTube at least a few times a week.
64 % say that “seeing pictures and video showing what happened” gives them the best understanding of major news events.
Publishing on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, OpenDor features videos and podcasts on Jewish and Israeli history, antisemitism, and the Holocaust.
The connection with Israel and Judaism among young Jews is also in steady decline.
51% of young Jews ages 22-40 identify their religion as Jewish. 60% of young Jews ages 22-40 feel little to no attachment to the Jewish State
In the classroom: Unpacked for Educators provides formal and experiential tools to make Jewish learning accessible, relevant and substantive. Our community of educators is one-of-a-kind in its global and cross-denominational makeup.
In the feed: Unpacked helps young audiences navigate the complexities of Judaism and Israel on a variety of platforms including podcasts, videos, articles and across all social media channels.
On the big screen: Through compelling stories, OpenDor Media’s award-winning films draw viewers into the world of Israel and Jewish heritage, providing a transformative experience. These films have been seen by millions around the world.
OpenDor Media has produced a number of critically acclaimed feature documentary films, “Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference” and “Crossing the Line: The Intifada Comes to Campus.” “Israel Inside” was seen by millions of people on PBS, Comcast on Demand, El Al flights and screened more than 400 times in 28 countries.
OpenDor Media publishes weekly updates on the top stories in Israel or the Jewish world, with articles, video clips and podcasts to keep young Jewish adults informed about today’s complex Jewish world.
Dr. Alex Grobman is the senior resident scholar at the John C. Danforth Society, a member of the Council of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East and on the advisory board of the National Christian Leadership Conference of Israel (NCLCI). He has an MA and PhD in contemporary Jewish history from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
