Excepted The Jerusalem Post

Israel’s first college fraternity opens

The Hebrew state is in for something new on Tuesday: Alpha Epsilon Pi, an international Jewish fraternity, is opening a branch at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya.

It will be the first college fraternity in the State of Israel.

Although a group of young men attending IDC have been participating in fraternity events throughout the year, their official initiation – making them full members of the international organization – will only take place on Tuesday.

They are going to become Brothers of Alpha Epsilon Pi in a ceremony at the Sheraton Jerusalem Plaza Hotel. AEPi undergraduates, alumni and international board members will attend the ceremony.

The Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) fraternity has been operating since 1913 and is “one of the oldest Jewish organizations in the world,” Steven Kaplan, director of expansion for Alpha Epsilon Pi, said on Monday.

According to its mission statement, the fraternity began as a “brotherhood of young men who came from similar religious backgrounds” and had experienced prejudices against their religious beliefs.”

It has grown to encompass more than 83,000 young men. Only recently has it set its sight on expanding to the Middle East.

Steven Kaplan traveled to Israel a few months ago to search out students interested in becoming part of a new fraternity in Israel. He found a group interested in joining, and they became the fraternity’s “Aleph Colony.”

Kaplan said the students were fantastic members, and that they “have gone above and beyond the standards that we set for them.”

He was met with “much hesitation and uncertainty” during his efforts to bring the American fraternity tradition to Israel.

Part of that hesitation stems from the images of fraternities and sororities in the media – drinking, sex and more drinking.

Many fraternities and sororities in the United States are trying to change their party-hard image.

Intercollegiate Knights, for example, is a fraternity founded for community service. Last April, the Alpha Psi Lambda sorority at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign participated in a march to “support all-important research offering preventions and solutions for babies born too soon or with birth defects.”

Alpha Epsilon Pi raised $135,000 for the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum in Washington and $100,000 for Magen David Adom. At IDC, the members of the AEPi fraternity have participated in social, philanthropic and athletic events.

David Cohen, a former member of the Zeta Phi fraternity at New York University, considers fraternities to be a way to create a community within a college. “It was a good way to absorb into school,” he said. “It provides a mini community for you.”

Community service is a significant part of Greek life in the United States, but Cohen said fraternities were “mostly social organizations.”

Members go to bars, throw parties and raise money for the fraternity, he said.

James Gardner, a student at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, said fraternities were a “double-sided sword.” They allow for “wide social connections,” but at the same time “limit the number of people one can associate with because of rivalries and cliques,” he said.

As for the party life illustrated in films, Gardner said “there is some truth to the movies, though I think they are exaggerated a bit.”

Israeli universities tend to have much less campus life than their American equivalents. Students are older and more independent here. Most of them have served in the army and they often have fulltime jobs. They place more emphasis on their studies, and less on extracurricular activities.

The introduction of fraternities and sororities to these universities might change this, increasing the social aspect of study and providing a sort of home away from home. On the other end of the spectrum, they might just be an excuse for students to neglect their studies.

Well I was wrong, it was quicker than before lunch time cause the very next story i read was Officials examine frats’ ties to death

Two UCI fraternities possibly linked to the death of a university student have been banned from hosting events until school officials complete an investigation into their potential responsibility, officials said Monday.

The two stories conflict and one says he was heading TO the party and the other heading FROM the party. In either case the bottom line is this, a student, a Greek one to boot, who happened to be going to / coming from a fraternity event did something stupid and ran across a highway. I’m sure the Brothers are reeling from the death of a member but to add insult to injury they are banned from events and I’m sure more sanctions will come.  (a moot point since I’m sure they are probably not planning to have another event anytime soon beyond memorials for their stuck down Brother)

When you are Greek your actions reflect your entire organization and when people come looking to sue they will follow the money. If they can sue the chapter, the national, the catering hall, the college, the parents of the other students and the 2nd grade teachers of everyone involved, they will.  Out is the age of personal responsibility and in with the age of blame everyone around you. That being said, give some thought about how your actions while wearing (or not wearing letters) will impact your chapter, your family and friends.

To the brothers of Sigma Pi and Alpha Epsilon Pi at UC Irvine or heart felt condolences during what will prove to be a very troubling time for you all and sorry for your loss.

From from The Daily Northwestern

A banner advertising an event for an NU fraternity has been ripped down and burned, said Adam Janet, president of Alpha Epsilon Pi.

The banner advertised AEPi’s annual spring philanthropy, Dog Days, which raises money for the American Cancer Society.

“It was on the ground and torn in two,” the Weinberg sophomore said. “When we examined it further, we saw that the edges had been burned.”

Janet filed a police report Friday afternoon.

“I think it’s clear that our banner was targeted,” he said.