Unique Phonathon: Israeli Students Call U.S. Supporters
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
By: Kevin Hattori

From March 16 through March 29, students at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa have been up throughout the night phoning some 2,600 American supporters. The university is considered Israel's MIT, and the students are telling donors about its vital role in Israel's high-tech future and asking them to increase their level of support.

Because of the time difference, it is necessary for the students to call the US in the middle of the night, but they don’t mind sacrificing sleep time.  Technion Bio-Medical Engineering student Avinoam Jacobs says, “One of the people I spoke to yesterday said this is a ‘genius idea’ having students call on their own and show how important it is to them by calling at two am Israel time.”   

Student caller Avionam Jacobs

Danny Shapiro, director of Public Affairs and Resource Development at the Technion, says, “If the Phonathon is as successful as we think it will be, more donors can expect to receive phone calls from our students.  They are really enthusiastic about the project because they know, first hand, how much US support for the Technion means to them and to Israel.”

The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology is Israel's leading science and technology university. Home to the country’s first winners of the Nobel Prize in science, it commands a worldwide reputation for its pioneering work in nanotechnology, computer science, biotechnology, water-resource management, materials engineering, aerospace and medicine. The majority of the founders and managers of Israel's high-tech companies are alumni. Based in New York City, the American Technion Society (ATS) is the leading American organization supporting higher education in Israel, with offices around the country.