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

and tomato sandwiches and are not typically used in the same sentence with 'Rabbi.'Skeptical, I walked into the kitchen of the fraternity house where I found fifty fraternity menjoining the campus Rabbi for their weekly, “Bagels, Lox and Tefillin” event. I observed theRabbi sitting with several young men helping them don their phylacteries and teaching themthe prayers. Ever since that moment, I saw the Jewish Fraternity and Sorority experience asan important and unexplored socialization and informal educative opportunity for Jewishcollege-aged students. The Greek life system provides elements similar to those of the campor youth group experience, however it has the ability to engage students in an intellectualdomain, engaging both their hearts and their minds. I further realized that Jewish fraternitiesand sororities offer a Jewish outlet separate from Hillel or other on-campus Jewish clubs ororganizations, therefore creating an access point to attract different Jewish students.I want to acknowledge and express my deep gratitude and appreciation to ProfessorJonathan Sarna, the Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History inthe Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University. Professor Sarnahas been a mentor and advisor to me for four years, and has patiently helped me tease out myideas on this topic. He has been supportive and helped me maintain my enthusiasmthroughout this process with his encouraging comments and his personal interest. I wouldalso like to thank Professor Leonard Saxe, the renowned professor of Jewish CommunityResearch and Social Policy at Brandeis University. His expertise in the demographics ofAmerican Jewry and Jewish engagement have helped me explore the contemporary aspectsof my research.Special thanks to Andrew Borans, Executive Director of Alpha Epsilon Pi, LaurenceBolotin, Executive Director of Zeta Beta Tau, and Lee Manders from Sigma Alpha Mu, foriv