Rebecca Shapiro Thesis (11 May 2011).pdf - Brandeis Institutional ...

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Despite the dismal state of things during the Depression, certain fraternity eventscontinued unabated. ZBT maintained its parties and festive conventions. To many, theseparties had a purpose greater than entertainment; they were used for Jewish purposes, toensure a Jewish future. Many young men and women attended these parties in hopes offinding a mate of equal looks, connections, and wealth. Perhaps the universal dream ofthe classical Jewish mother, in ZBT, the invitation list or "date list" was drawn frommembers of the community pre-selected as meeting the minimum standards ofappearance, dress, family background, intelligence and religion. Men were attracted toconventions by the prospect of dancing with a Jewish woman meeting his criteria. Mencould fill out forms verifying the type of woman in whom they were interested. Theforms asked about ideal height, hair color, and age. 110Mothers of eligible femaleattendees helped daughters travel long distances to attend such parties in hope of findinga Jewish husband.ZBT further aided the young romances by providing services such as distributionof names and phone numbers of women that Zeebs could call, or helping find a judge, atthe last minute, to marry a couple. 111 The absence of a Rabbi officiating at the weddingreflects the fact that although the members were concerned about Jewish endogamy,Jewish ritual served as a lesser concern. ZBT chapters also often hosted regular dinnersfor the female relatives of members. These dinner parties served as a comfortable wayfor Zeebs to meet eligible women. 112 ZBT proudly posted all marriage announcements ofJewish couples in their publication, particularly when a Zeeb married the sister of anotherfraternity brother.110 Sanua, Here's To Our Fraternity, 52111 Sanua, Here's To Our Fraternity, 101112 Sanua, Here's To Our Fraternity, 11029
Other fraternities engaged in the matchmaking business, as the prospect ofeligible Jewish girls often enticed men to attend conventions. In a flyer for their 1937convention in Cleveland one advertisement for Phil Epsilon Pi read "Come toCleveland…We have girls- femininity, pulchritude, naïveté, sophistication- girls, girls,girls… Can we disappoint them? No! Will they disappoint you? No!..." 113As didZBT, Phi Epsilon Pi had members fill out the ideal age and height of potential dates toconventions. 114 Jewish fraternity organizations saw themselves as matchmaking agenciesin addition to their role as brotherhoods. Despite the shallow nature of theirmatchmaking process, they were advocating and facilitating Jewish endogamy.In addition to their matchmaking role, organizations also served as the advocatesfor Jewish life on campus. Phi Epsilon Pi at Penn State University opened its house toHillel to be used as a synagogue for High Holiday services in 1936. 115 The fraternity wasalso responsible for building the University’s succah in October 1939. The succah, thebooth traditionally built in celebration of the Feast of the Tabernacle, measured twentyfeet long, eight feet high and eight feet wide. This size accommodated the students,faculty and townspeople who spent time in this temporary structure. The succah wasdecorated. On one wall hung a solid blue Star of David and another bore the inscription,"How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, thy dwelling places, O Israel." 116 Jewish Greekorganizations often worked with Menorah Societies and Hillels for the betterment ofJewish student life.113 Sanua, 202114 Sanua, 201115 Sanua, 205116 Sanua, 20530
Page 1 and 2: The Untapped Potential of Jewis
Page 3 and 4: Jewish network, which brought Jewis
Page 5 and 6: their interest in my research, and
Page 7 and 8: Table of ContentsAcknowledgements..
Page 9 and 10: The “future” section uses curre
Page 11 and 12: Organizations provided them with a
Page 13 and 14: organizations. Like ΦΒΚ, many fr
Page 15 and 16: fraternities to close. Despite the
Page 17 and 18: criticism progressed, the four wome
Page 19 and 20: themselves and in official document
Page 21 and 22: accepting fraternities included Phi
Page 23 and 24: Fraternities noted "undergraduates
Page 25 and 26: maintain a nonsectarian constitutio
Page 27 and 28: C. Moskowitz, played basketball for
Page 29 and 30: Ida Bienstock Landau, Minna Goldsmi
Page 31 and 32: universities, less formally educate
Page 33 and 34: The Jewish Greeks stood at the fore
Page 35: and sororities. The Council however
Page 39 and 40: purposes of the College Fraternity,
Page 41 and 42: Board meeting in which Alpha Epsilo
Page 43 and 44: served in the Canadian forces. 129
Page 45 and 46: eleven pounds of cakes, cookies, pr
Page 47 and 48: This act, better known as the GI Bi
Page 49 and 50: families in their own homes or care
Page 51 and 52: living. Another argued "There are m
Page 53 and 54: PresentPresently, the following org
Page 55 and 56: Responding to the absence of Jewish
Page 57 and 58: Tikkun Olam. Rabbi Isaac Luria saw
Page 59 and 60: always be within fifteen feet of a
Page 61 and 62: AEPI has made Jewish philanthropy a
Page 63 and 64: cultivating a lifelong commitment t
Page 65 and 66: ainchild of AEPI that is now run by
Page 67 and 68: Conference (Maccabi is an affiliate
Page 69 and 70: eferring to itself as a Jewish frat
Page 71 and 72: Executive Vice President of America
Page 73 and 74: Jewish fraternity. These three frat
Page 75 and 76: through in higher education is the
Page 77 and 78: This wave of growth centered around
Page 79 and 80: Greek organization. A speaker able
Page 81 and 82: Unfortunately, Greek Life is often
Page 83 and 84: BibliographyAlpha Phi Alpha. Access
Page 85 and 86: http://www.aepi.org/?page=TheLion."

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