Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) is the first Jewish fraternity on campus. AEPi, the Global Jewish Fraternity, was founded in 1913 to provide opportunities for a Jewish man seeking the best possible college and fraternity experience.
According to the website, the fraternity has over 140 chapters on campuses across the United States, Canada, and Israel, made up of over 9,000 undergraduates and the support of 93,000 alumni worldwide.
“It has maintained the integrity of its purpose by strengthening its ties to the Jewish community and also by serving as a link between high school and career,” the web-site states.
Their heritage stems from one source: “young Jewish men banding together in allegiance.”
AEPi Chapter President, Joel Podolsky is a junior at UT. “I contacted the national office in an effort to bring AEPi back to campus …. We are looking forward to making a strong and successful transition into the UT Greek community,” said Podolsky.
Marty Bock, AEPi International Director of Leadership Development, said that UT has reached out to the fraternity in the past.
“AEPi has a rich history at the University of Tampa dating back to 1970 and when this group of students contacted our office with the strong interest and ambition to bring a Jewish fraternity back to UT, we found a tremendous group of guys and an overwhelming amount of local AEPi alumni support.
The Tau Phi Chapter of AEPi is looking forward to making a positive and contributing impact on the UT campus community, as well as the local Tampa community at large.”
The fraternity’s mission statement is to develop leadership for the future of the American Jewish community. “Tomorrow’s
Jewish leaders are in our fraternity’s chapters today,” the website states.
The young men in AEPi are counted upon to support Jewish causes and to aid themselves, their family, their community and their people by acting as leaders.
By being a part of this organization, Jewish men are helping reverse the growing trend among young people to abandon Judaism at this critical time.
“A goal of the fraternity is to help each student to develop character, to learn responsibility and to develop a proper set of values through living together in brotherhood,” the website states. AEPi hopes to prepare young men to be responsible citizens.
Another important goal of the premiere Jewish fraternity is “to give back to others through philanthropic endeavors and community service.”
The men apart of the fraternity practice “Tikkun Olam,” or “repairing the world” in Hebrew. The organization wants its members to not only contribute to their local communities, but to the global community as well.
The basic purpose of this organization is to provide the opportunity for Jewish men to be able to join a Jewish organization the purpose of which is not notably religious, but rather social and cultural.
Alpha Epsilon Pi is a Jewish fraternity; it is non-discriminatory and it is open to all participants who are willing to espouse its purpose and values.
“Joining Alpha Epsilon Pi, or any fraternity, can, and will most likely, be a life changing event. It’s very difficult to explain the fraternity experience completely. Each brother’s experiences are unique,” the web-site states.
For more information on Alpha Epsilon Pi, visit aepi.org.
Yasaman Sherbaf can be reached at ysherbaf@spartans.ut.edu.
