Orot Israel College marked the birthday of the 500 Club for its unique “First thing in the Morning History” initiative that shares historical information regarding events that took place on the same Hebrew calendar day, to hundreds of WhatsApp, Telegram Messenger and Facebook groups.
The initiative was set up by Dr. Yossi Londin, from Orot Israel College’s History Department. The program is run in conjunction with Language Editor Ohed Bashiri and Producer Yaakov Hoffman along with history students at Orot's Rechovot campus, who participate in this project as part of their teachers’ training.
Dr. Londin says that choosing a historic topic with Jewish content every single day is no small task. “We insist on working according to the Hebrew calendar date whereas most programs run according to the English calendar. We strive to present a series of events that are of interest to all Jewish ethnic groups, from different periods, events connected with male and female personalities, events with a religious Zionist perspective, and if we can throw in lesser known historic figures and events, which is a bonus.”
Professor Yuval Sinai, President of Orot Israel College, adds: “The success of the initiative teaches us that the world of social media is a great challenge, and also a great opportunity for the academic world.”