Alpha Epsilon Pi

As the only international Jewish fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) is uniquely positioned to engage young Jewish men during their formative college years. Its local chapters offer day-to-day opportunities for these individuals to connect with Jewish peers and to positively influence their communities. At the same time, AEPi’s international operations increasingly offer more substantial learning and development experiences to help support these future Jewish leaders.

Over the summer, AEPI’s 7th annual Hineni Conference for Jewish Identity Enrichment brought together 120 participants—double from the previous year—to focus on two core themes: Jewish Identity and Tikkun Olam. Elan Carr, an Iraq war veteran and AEPi alum who currently serves as the assistant District Attorney in Los Angeles, set the stage for the Jewish identity track by discussing the importance of not defining Jewish identity as being anti-BDS or anti-antisemitism. Rather, Carr implored the participants to gain a deeper understanding of why Jewish identity and Judaism is important to them.  He explained that AEPi can be a part of this journey with them, as the only fraternity to have an exclusive focus of Jewish identity and Israel, and to see philanthropy and ethics through a Jewish lens

My experience at Hineni grounded many values I hold to a set of morals and principles in Judaism, and makes me even prouder to stand up for Jewish values. I now feel a greater sense of obligation to help communities when I can. – Hineni participant

For the Tikkun Olam Track, AEPi staff led a Jewish philanthropy program that had participants run a phonathon/textathon for an hour with a goal of raising $1000 to show the ease in which fundraising can be done at a local level at each chapter).  The group exceeded the goal, and the program was immediately praised by many participants, some of whom had never before solicited a gift.

 

I now have new ideas and tools to make this world a better place for the Jewish people and for everyone else. Attending the conference left a lasting impact on my connection to the Jewish community at-large through AEPi and has reinvigorated my will to give back in a meaningful and effective way during my lifetime. – Hineni participant

In addition to the increased number of participants, AEPi also enhanced pluralist learning at the conference. This year, for the first time, Rabbi Stanley Jacobs of HUC-JIR, Rabbi Howard Tilman of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, and Rabbi Yitz Greenberg of the modern Orthodox Yeshiva Beis Yosef complemented a cadre of internal and subject area presenters. Rabbi Stanley Davids discussed the general idea of Jewish identity, as well as sexual assault and sexual harassment prevention both from an ethical and from a Jewish perspective. Rabbi Shalom Denbo (Aish trained) led a program inspired by Tisha B’av in which participants bonded through sharing their own vulnerabilities with fellow brothers. Among many other sessions, AEPi student participants discussed what new Jewish education programs they could bring back to their individual chapters.

Along with the Hineni Conference, AEPi’s other recent gatherings—the Michael A. Leven Advanced Institute for Leadership (3rd Year), and the Civics: How to Run a Campaign Conference (2nd Year)—in total engaged more than 700 participants. AEPi continues to grow and to offer even more meaningful ways for students to grow and develop as Jewish leaders of today and tomorrow.

The Jim Joseph Foundation has awarded $250,000 to support Alpha Epsilon Pi.