According to a study commissioned by Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi), the Jewish fraternity instils within its members a sense of communal responsibility, a connection to Israel, and a commitment to Jewish continuity.
Researched and conducted by Groeneman Research & Consulting in 2014, the report – titled Assessing the impact of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Experience: Findings from a 2014 survey of alumni and which has yet to be officially released – revealed that AEPi alumni are generally connected to the Jewish community at a higher rate than North American Jews in general.
Of the 1,137 AEPi alumni who were interviewed, most were under 40 and attended university from 1995 to 2010. Five per cent of those surveyed attended Canadian schools.
The survey investigated topics that included whether AEPi alumni were more likely to marry Jewish and/or raise Jewish families, the “Jewishness” of their social circle, their involvement in the Jewish community, their engagement with Israel, and religious observance.
According to the survey, “intermarriage is lower than average – and their children are being raised Jewish more than others.”
Eighty per cent of AEPi alumni married Jewish compared to 57 per cent of American Jewish men, according to the PEW Research Center’s 2013 survey, A Portrait of Jewish Americans.
Thirty per cent said AEPi influenced their views about marrying Jewish, and 88 per cent said their children are being raised as Jews.
“Three-quarters of alumni participated in Jewish organizations or activities besides AEPi while in college. Over half acknowledge the fraternity for facilitating this involvement,” the report said.
“Four out of every five alumni have been to Israel. Almost half of all AEPi alumni had visited on a Birthright trip. Both rates surpass norms for young Jewish men in general.”
Sixty four per cent of AEPi alumni donated to a Jewish non-profit or charity, compared to 54 per cent of American Jewish males in general.
Jay Feldman, managing director of AEPi’s foundation, said he was not surprised by the findings.
“Anecdotally, the members talk about how their AEPi experiences had a direct impact on the strengthening of their identity, of their affiliation” Feldman said.
He said the results of the study revealed that many alumni have gone on to work, whether professionally or as volunteers in the Jewish world.
“Over the decades, the Jewish fraternity has evolved,” Feldman said. “We’re global, we’re in seven countries, 188 campuses. In the last 10 years in particular, we’ve intensified our supplemental programming that we do. We do conferences and training seminars and workshops and programs.
“What we set out to do was take the four year fraternity experience and use it as a platform to enhance the Jewish identity.”
Feldman said the most “gratifying” aspect of the study was the confirmation that most alumni feel a connection to Israel and place value on raising Jewish families.
“Also, there is a portion of the report where it talks about how for some people AEPi was a place where they developed and cemented deep friendships and made meaningful connections with their peers and other Jews, which is very important to us as well,” Feldman said.
Although not interviewed for this survey, David Burden, a 32-year-old AEPi alumnus of York University who serves as the fraternity’s regional governor for some of the Canadian chapters, is a prime example of an AEPi success story.
He married a Jewish woman, plans to raise any future children as Jews, observes Jewish holidays, is involved with other Jewish organizations and “for the most part, I live a Jewish lifestyle, I identify as a Jew and I’m very proud of that. I know that I can attribute that to my time in AEPi,” Burden said.
“The real benefit of AEPi is keeping the community tight. When people go away to university, after coming from a place like [The Anne and Max Tanenbaum Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto] where it’s easy to be Jewish, as soon as you go away to university you are outside of the nest and you really have to make the decisions for yourself and [it helps to be] aligned with other Jews who are of a similar mindset,” he said.
“I’m not really surprised by the results of the survey, because I am in touch with so many guys who are involved Jewishly. It’s not a surprise that AEPi is keeping people Jewish. For anyone who really knows what AEPi is, it goes without saying.”
