2019 SUMMER LEADERSHIP SERIES SUMMARY

We hope you enjoyed yourself at this year’s Summer Leadership Series in Washington, D.C. While we’re sad it ended, we hope that there were key takeaways you found that can be used on your campus and in your community. Take a look at our #AEPi106 daily digest below for a short synopsis of what Brothers were up to:

DAY 3

Former Bed, Bath and Beyond president, Arthur Stark, opened the day with a Q&A with Andy Borans. He discussed pivotal moments in his career and offered some great advice to attendees.

“With any Jewish issue you address, you’ll encounter others who will have the opposite view as you. When someone has that opposite view, it can be distasteful but try to find things you agree on and work towards an understanding.” – Arthur Stark

Leven leaders also finished working through the L.E.V.E.N. Learning Model, which they were then able to apply to their case study presentations to a panel of judges.

“It was great bonding with Brothers from across the globe. We came together to look at case studies and fix a problem that was once relevant, and could be again. I will cherish this experience forever. This was only the beginning of my future. I was given a lot of insightful knowledge from Brothers and businessmen alike that I won’t find anywhere else.” – Zachary Kirshner (GVSU, 2020)

While presentations were happening in one room, Brother Boris Epshteyn (Georgetown, 2004) was helping Brothers prepare for their case studies in another!

We hope Leven leaders can use the tools they were given to propel themselves in their future careers. Mazel Tov on completing the Leven Institute!

Thanks to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Hineni attendees had the opportunity to hear from former neo-Nazi, TM Garret. TM described how he got involved in the white supremacist movement, and why he decided to leave in order to promote a message of peace rather than hate.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) also came in to speak to attendees about what anti-Semitism is and how to deal with it. The goal was to take these lessons back to campus in order to empower other Brothers and students to address anti-Semitism.

Brother Michael Freeling (American, 1989) told Hineni attendees how this ADL session assisted Brother Koby Ellick (App State, 2020) last year after Convention in Phoenix, AZ.

“Koby attended this session last year and within a few months, Appalachian State University had an anti-Semitic incident with swastikas drawn on campus. Because of what he learned in this session and the connections he made with the ADL, he was able to step up and lead. ADL connected him with the appropriate people to create Two Days Against Hate, a great counter to a terrible narrative. This program ended up being named program of the year on App State’s campus and AEPi was named the student organization of the year!” – Michael Freeling

In a closing plenary for the Summer Leadership Series, Past Supreme Master and U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Elan Carr (Berkeley, 1990) spoke to both Hineni and Leven attendees about the urgency to fight anti-Semitism because there’s no better time than now.

“It’s been an incredible three days. Although it was jam pakced with work, I got so much out of this that will be helpful to me moving forward. The Summer Leadership Series may be a lot of work, but it’s worth it. Elan was an incredible speaker, everything he says is inspirational. He’s at the forefront of our nation’s battle against anti-Semitism, and I loved hearing what impact he thinks we can have as troops on the ground and college students.” – Bryan Ruef (California State – Fullerton, 2020)

Just like that, the Summer Leadership Series is over. Today, we move into the rest of #AEPi106 and cannot wait to meet the rest of our Brothers. We hope you’ll encourage others to apply for the Summer Leadership Series next year, remembering the friendships built and lessons learned. Don’t forget to share your experiences on social media with #AEPi106. We look forward to seeing you at Career Day!

DAY 2

Michael A. Leven Advanced Leadership Institute

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Leven leaders continued working their way through the L.E.V.E.N. Learning Model. Inventor of Drop Stop, Brother Marc Newburger (Southern California, 1997), took a different view on leadership, teaching attendees about nutrition. He stressed the importance of how taking care of yourself and your body is just as important, if not more, than anything else before you lead others.

“Speaking at #AEPi106 is a no brainer. AEPi has done so much for me and it’s a joy and pleasure to do this every year.” – Marc Newburger

Attendees also heard from Executive Director of Ballpark Operations and Guest Experience for the Washington Nationals, Brother Jonathan Stahl (Syracuse, 2007), and PwC partner, Brother Dan Hays (Georgia Tech, 1995). Their session focused on hospitality, and how important it is to be nice and treat everyone right regardless of the situation.

“Even when you’re not happy, be kind and honest with people. Let them know your intentions. If you do that, they’ll be more willing to listen to you.” – Jonathan Stahl

Brother Michael A. Leven (Tufts, 1959) addressed participants in an “Open Mic with Mike” tonight, answering questions about monumental careers decisions and his definition of success. His answers were a mix of stories from his life and lessons learned along the way.

“Every single person I’ve spoken to has made an impression on me. I haven’t seen this type of hands-on learning anywhere else. The students, the speakers and the mentors are all amazing.” -Daniel Ginzburg (London, 2020)

Hineni Jewish Identity Enrichment Conference

Hineni attendees from both tracks spent the morning doing a community service project with the Anacostia Riverkeeper, cleaning trash off of D.C. streets to prevent the Anacostia River from further pollution.

“It meant a lot to me to see that we were making a difference in the D.C. community. I felt that I was taking everything I learned in yesterday’s session about Tikkun Olam and putting it to use in the real world.” – Harrison Greenfield (South Florida, 2022)

Jewish Identity participants had the opportunity to attend a very serious and emotional event today: The Jewish History Museum. This event, used in chapter and colony new member education programs, reimagines a world where the outcome of World War II was different and puts you in the shoes of tourists visitng a museum with the last living Jew. The purpose of the program was to not only remind attendees why a Jewish fraternity is vital, but that we must persevere to triumph over evil. All attendees will have a chance to attend this again later this week.

“As a community, we try our hardest to educate others about Judaism, but some will always look down on us. This program was impactful because, as a sophomore in college, I wasn’t personally familiar with the anti-Semitism that happens on college campuses. I see it more now and feel prepared to deal with anti-Semitism. I truly believe this would be a beneficial program for other chapters and colonies to implement.” – Joe Levy (Brooklyn College, 2022)

It’s hard to believe that day two of the Summer Leadership Series is over and we will finish tomorrow before greeting the rest of our Brothers for #AEPi106. Don’t forget to share your experiences on social media. We look forward to seeing you in the morning!

DAY 1

Michael A. Leven Advanced Leadership Institute

Brothers participating in Leven were introduced to The Institute and paired with their Leven facilitators. Then they participated in breakouts on the L.E.V.E.N Learning Model. The model teaches five core competencies so that by the end of the Summer Leadership Series, attendees learn to have a visionary mindset and strong ethical standards.

Leven attendees heard from Dr. Aaron Carroll, Todd Maurer (UT Austin, 1993) and CEO Jim Fleischer (Kent State, 1993) about what the fraternity has done for their professional lives and how they’ve utilized one another over the years.

“When I was diagnosed with cancer, the first person I called was my best friend [and Brother] Aaron Carroll. Todd drove me to my doctor appointments. These are the type of people I wanted to surround myself with.” – CEO Jim Fleischer

Brother Doug Zarkin (George Washington, 1992) is the Chief Marketing Officer of Pearle Vision. While addressing Leven, he discussed how to make your brand resonate and how living AEPi’s ideals and bringing them to life gets you noticed.

“Marketing is about positioning, and positioning is about sacrifice. It’s about being different.” – Doug Zarkin

Hineni Jewish Identity Enrichment Conference

IsraAID, a leading Israel-based international humanitarian non-governmental organization, spoke to Hineni attendees today about their partnership with AEPi and how they are volunteering to help communities recover from disasters. IsraAID discussed the refugee crisis in Syria, and attendees participated in a refugee activity to see what they go through on a day-to-day basis.

“IsraAID opened my eyes. It’s amazing to see how much Israel cares about helping other countries.” – Caleb Marx (Iowa, 2022)

Attendees also took a closer look at AEPi’s role in Tikkun Olam—repairing the world—and why it’s crucial for Brothers to give back to their local communities. 

Working together, Hineni attendees raised more than $1,100 in one hour for Alpha Epsilon Pi’s Official Philanthropy Program (OPP) during a text-a-thon. Mazel tov, Brothers!

We can’t wait to see what’s in store for day two of the Summer Leadership Series. Remember to share your experiences on social media with the hashtag #AEPi106. Don’t forget you can also download the Convention app for schedule updates and to keep in communication with your Brothers attending #AEPi106.

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