December 8, 2023
One of the principal tenets of AEPi membership is learned early in the new member program: one of the points on the pin stands for mutual helpfulness. How that gets demonstrated and implemented can vary widely. In Hebrew, Tzedakah means charity and justice and helping others is seen as an act of generosity and justice in Judaism. The Rabbis teach us, though, that giving to charity is more than a righteous act. Tzedakah is an obligation that Jewish people have with G-d to help bring fairness to the world. Since October 7, finding fairness in the world has become more [...]
December 7, 2023
STATEMENT FROM ROB DERDIGER, CEO ALPHA EPSILON PI INTERNATIONAL “Yesterday’s (December 5, 2023) congressional testimony by three university presidents on the subject of antisemitism on campus was illuminating for much of the country as the university presidents couldn’t even condemn those who called for Jewish genocide. Unfortunately, Alpha Epsilon Pi, the world’s largest and leading Jewish college fraternity, is very accustomed to these attitudes which are prevalent in college administrations and have helped foster the blatant antisemitism we are seeing on college campuses. We have been deeply engaged in advocacy efforts on the college front for many years. Our mission […]
December 5, 2023
(INDIANAPOLIS, IN) – A group of Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) alumni from around North America have launched an effort to provide Hannukah menorahs, candles and gifts for children living on Israeli kibbutzim. Working with AEPi alumni and AEPi undergraduate students in Israel, the group is raising money through the Alpha Epsilon Pi Foundation to purchase the Hannukah gifts and have the Israeli Brothers deliver them. AEPi is the world’s largest and leading Jewish college fraternity. Loren Nelson (UC – Santa Barbara, 2001) and Brett Blumstein (UC – Irvine, 2000), co-owners of the Hannukah Superstore and founder of the AEPi Business […]
December 8, 2023
One of the principal tenets of AEPi membership is learned early in the new member program: one of the points on the pin stands for mutual helpfulness. How that gets demonstrated and implemented can vary widely. In Hebrew, Tzedakah means charity and justice and helping others is seen as an act of generosity and justice in Judaism. The Rabbis teach us, though, that giving to charity is more than a righteous act. Tzedakah is an obligation that Jewish people have with G-d to help bring fairness to the world. Since October 7, finding fairness in the world has become more [...]
November 10, 2023
Yitgadal v’yitkadash sh’mei raba b’alma di-v’rachirutei, v’yamlich malchutei b’chayeichon uvyomeichon uvchayei d’chol beit yisrael, ba’agala uvizman kariv, v’im’ru: “amen.” The global Jewish community has certainly heard these words of the kaddish too much lately. It is said that sitting shiva, the Jewish tradition of mourning with family and community members, is a way of saying, “I am with you.” In the aftermath of the Hamas terror attacks on October 7, the need for Jews to be with each other has never been greater. “My father reached out to me shortly after the (October 7) attacks and told me that a [...]
October 6, 2023
“I’m not a really emotional guy but I’ve had some emotional moments in my life. I’m married. I have three kids. But, nothing prepared me for that moment when I walked into his hospital room and saw him. I just broke down. I’ve never cried like that before in my life.” – Brother Neil Grunberg (McGill, 2000) Saving a life can have that kind of impact on everyone. A Toronto native, Brother Grunberg attended McGill university in Montreal and immediately connected with AEPi. “At the time, it was my first time away from home for the holidays. AEPi seemed to [...]
November 17, 2023
Judaism has always been a key part of my life and my Jewish journey is quite a unique story. I wasn’t born and raised Jewish. I joined AEPi as a freshman at Kent State University and fell in love with the fraternity for its brotherhood and Jewish values. Though I was heavily involved, and the culture and religion became an integral part of my collegiate life, it wasn’t until 2020 that I made the decision to convert to Judaism while working for the fraternity. It was one of the proudest moments of my life and I have my Brothers to [...]
October 27, 2023
My profession, my involvement in national and international initiatives and organizations, my teaching, my counseling – all involve my using my voice. I don’t mean just my physical voice of course, but how I view and understand the matter at hand. I am usually not indecisive. In most matters, I know who I am and where I want things to go. Give me a crowd of thousands, or a small gathering of influencers – I know my voice. But since the unspeakable massacre, the pogrom that occurred on October 7th, I just can’t find my voice. What a strange, unfamiliar, [...]
October 13, 2023
(Editor’s Note: In light of the situation in Israel, we are suspending our usual Friday Piday posts which highlight the amazing things our Brothers are doing on their campuses and in their communities or professions to feature stories of our Brothers and their reflections on and actions to support Israel. Moshe Lencer is AEPi’s former Director of Jewish Enrichment and Education and today serves as the Associate Director of Partnership Development at The iCenter. He is a 2015 graduate of AEPi’s Aleph chapter at Reichman University) The Simchat Torah weekend began on a positive note as we hosted an [...]
AEPi is always looking for good news and stories about our undergraduates, alumni and partners. We feature such stories on this site’s weekly #FridayPiday section and in our quarterly publication, The Lion. Send us some news!
