UWM students seek to revive
chapter of Jewish fraternity

By Leon Cohen
of The Chronicle staff

The Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi has existed for almost a century nationwide; and one of its largest chapters apparently flourishes at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

But it has been decades since a chapter existed at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, apparently a casualty of the Vietnam War-era, according to Andrew Borans, executive director of the international organization.

As of last month, however, a new Milwaukee chapter of this venerable fraternity is struggling to be born. Eight young men under the leadership of Jonathan Amrani and Ryan Huibregtse (pronounced “Hubrex”) have initiated the process of organizing the chapter.

Amrani is the new group’s president, Huibregtse its vice president, though by fraternity tradition, these offices are called “master” and “lieutenant master,” they said.

It will be a while before such a group, known as a “colony” in its initial stages, becomes an official chapter, as Amrani and Huibregtse explained it during their visit to The Chronicle’s offices Monday.

First, the colony has to plan and hold three events, one purely social — “to show we can have a good time,” said Huibregtse — one athletic, and one philanthropic.

The duo said they will try to organize within the next few weeks a hookah party at a local hookah bar for the social event, a charity poker game for the philanthropic event, and a basketball tournament involving other campus groups for the athletic event.

If those are successful, the colony must appeal to a nearby chapter — in this case probably the one at UW-Madison — for an “inauguration.”

After that, the group must hold two successful rushes, which Amrani and Huibregtse hope to hold this coming spring and the next autumn semester. “We then are officially a chapter and no longer a colony,” said Huibregtse.

Training leaders

Amrani is a sophomore who will study for a major in finance and a minor in economics. He originated the idea of reviving the Milwaukee AEPi chapter.

Though a Milwaukee native, he had transferred to UWM from the University of Arizona, which has an active chapter. “I thought of some of the things that UWM does not have,” he said. “One of them being a Jewish frat. … I just thought it would be a good fit for UWM.”

With the help of Milwaukee’s Hillel Foundation, Amrani set out some literature at Hillel’s table at the UWM student union. Huibregtse, a junior majoring in political science, saw the literature and spoke to Amrani, who asked if he wanted to help start the group.

“At first I was skeptical about it,” Huibregtse said. “It seemed like a lot of work, and I’m not a typical frat guy.” But the more he thought about it, the more he realized both that “I had no reason to say no,” and that such a group “could be really beneficial.”

Borans said that the fraternity works to “train the future Jewish leaders of North America.” Through its various activities, the frat teaches its members “leadership, philanthropy and good will,” which “they then take to their federations, synagogues, and to support Israel,” Borans said.

The fraternity has 140 chapters in the U.S. and Canada, with some 6,500 undergraduate members and 83,000 alumni, said Borans. It offers trips to Israel and to international conventions.

It works to contribute to three philanthropies: Shaare Zedek Hospital in Israel; Chai Lifeline in the U.S.; and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

The Madison chapter has about 120 members, making it one of if not the largest such organization on that campus, Borans said. He added that the Madison chapter has many alumni in the Milwaukee area.

For more information about the national fraternity, visit its Web site, www.aepi.org. For more information about the UWM group, send an email to Amrani at jmikea63@gmail.com.