New research finds that short length Israel videos and resources help audiences connect more deeply with Israel.

In a research initiative that surveyed over 1000 respondents, OpenDor Media (ODM), a Jerusalem-based global media company explores the role of Jewish media and its potential impact on young Jews.

The study, “A Critical Space for the Jewish Future: Digital Media, Millennials and Gen Z,” developed in partnership with Rosov Consulting, is comprised of two populations: Jewish students from the ODM pilot partner school program and a general sampling of viewers from the Unpacked YouTube channel. The study has eight key findings:

1. YouTube is a go-to resource: Half of the respondents report that to learn about Israel, they go on YouTube.
2. Unbiased content: The majority of respondents find the videos neither left- nor right-leaning politically.
3. Understanding complexities: 82% of respondents feel that they better understand the complexity of Israel.
4. Gaining confidence: 75% of respondents feel more confident to discuss Israel topics.
5. Taking action: Over half of the respondents want to read a news story or talk with others about Israel.
6. Immediate impact: The general population was highly impacted with just a single video.
7. The cumulative effect: A higher impact is found for those watching multiple videos than for those watching one video.
8. Compounding effect: Respondents with a stronger Israel background report a 12% greater attitudinal and behavioral outcome.

In speaking with eJP, Dina Rabhan, OpenDor’s CEO said: “Media is a powerful, ubiquitous force in the education and identity formation of adolescents and young adults.

This study is just the first step of a long-term commitment and vision for ongoing research and design to find the most powerful media levers for change.”

The full report is available at: https://opendormedia.org/impact2020/.