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September 10, 2004/Elul 24 5765, Vol. 57, No. 1
91 years of brotherhoodBARRY KLUGERQuestion: What do you get when you join with 300 Jewish college students in a room?Answer: A tremendous sense of pride to be a Jew. I was inducted as an honorary member of Alpha Epsilon Pi, the national Jewish fraternity, at its annual conference in Scottsdale last month. When I attended The American University in Washington, D.C., in the 1970s, fraternity membership was at a lull as students focused on the Vietnam War. Politics took precedence over rushing. As I grew older, and in some ways wiser, I turned inward to the communities in which I worked and lived, becoming involved in the United Jewish Appeal Entertainment Division in New York, and supporting candidates for public office who believed in a strong and safe Israel and in fighting anti-Semitism here and abroad. When I moved to Arizona in 1999, I became involved in my synagogue and the Anti-Defamation League. Joel Breshin, an ADL associate, submitted my name for honorary induction in AEPi. I joined other local honorees including insurance executive Mark Rothman; Rabbi Arthur Lavinsky of Beth El Congregation; Mark Shore, president of the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center; Rabbi Jordan Goldson of Temple Kol Ami; and Phoenix City prosecutor Jon Tutelman in a ceremony that was both solemn and uplifting, as we were allowed to penetrate that veil of secrecy that bonds Jewish men as brothers in living our lives, proud of our heritage. Young Jewish men come in all shapes and sizes, as do Jews around the world. AEPi members sport piercings, short hair, long hair, shaved heads, haircuts by Rolf, jeans, suits and ties and shorts. Members and alumni came to Scottsdale's 113-degree heat, paying their own way to be with people "like them," in a vibrant display of solidarity, sense of purpose and yes, love. They came from Auburn, Boston University, University of Manitoba, University of Chattanooga and Iowa (yes, there are Jews in Iowa) to meet all day and as late as midnight, discussing ways to promote Jewish culture, the value of tzedakah and to hang with their fellow AEPi brothers. Sworn to secrecy, I could not share the handshake nor the details of the ceremony with my wife, Hope, but I did share the deep history of the fraternity and what it has meant to Jewish college students since its founding in 1913 at New York University. Now, I had joined 91 years of tradition, and was with my brothers and my friends, and I was home. Barry Kluger is managing partner of Kluger Media Group and a local columnist. Contact him at barry@barrykluger.com. |
