Sahar (not his real name), who’s currently serving in Gaza, has an anxious mother in Florida and he wants someone to call and help reassure her a bit; Dana (also a pseudonym), who runs a kindergarten that doesn’t have a shelter, is desperately looking for alternatives in the area; Dan, Omri and Yoav (fictitious names, as you might have guessed by now) are in the army, lacking equipment, and have been looking for someone who can get it to them; And then there is the alumnus who is serving in the military while his wife is at home with the children — he wants someone to check in on her in the evenings, the most challenging time for her. Another is seeking legal advice on setting up a safe room at home, and yet another is facing business losses, asking us to promote it among the alumni for increased support. And we can go on and on. With the launch of our new alumni app, the range of requests we have received is diverse and profound.
We proudly launched it in the third week of the war. This is typical of Reichman University, whose Alumni Association's moto is that it is the alumni's home for life. And yes, in life there are wars too, and even then, we are there for our alumni. That is what the app was designed for — so that our graduates can contact us about any matter they need assistance with, and especially during these difficult days, we stand by our alumni. Because we meant it when we said we are here for them. And now, more than ever, they can connect with us in just a single click.
The Alumni Association team receives inquiries from the app, and answers each personally and immediately. “While we may not have been able to fulfill every request”, says Gili Dinstein, CEO of the Alumni Association, "we did manage the majority, and even just the fact that we were there, accessible and willing to help, made a significant impact. Our alumni were truly moved, and many of them sent us heartfelt messages on WhatsApp and email".
So how does it work? Simple: download the app via this link (works on iPhone and Android), choose the alumnus profile, verify your identity and that's it. You’re in. If you had the app as a student, it's even easier — just update to the latest version, and switch to an alumnus profile.
Gili adds, "Once the war ends, we’ll incorporate the entire alumni world into the app: networking opportunities, jobs, events, alumni conferences, benefits, and much more. But in war times, (à la guerre comme à la guerre), our primary focus is to take care of our alumni, and then we’ll expand the app. In any case, we’re here and proud to be (as always) the first university to do this".
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