About us
About the Beta Delta Chapter
In October of 2005 Jeremy Brook, an educational leadership consultant from Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity came to DePaul University with a goal to start up a new colony of Alpha Epsilon Pi. To his success we began our journey in becoming a recognized colony of AEPi. With 12 founding fathers we began to prove our dedication and worthiness by successfully completing three events, one athletic, one philanthropic, and one social. After three months of hard work and planning we completed the events, a basketball game with another local fraternity, a poker and games night with the AEPi chapter at Northwestern University, and finally a Valentines Day card and candy sale which has turned into one of our favorite annual events. During this period is when we got to know each other and learn about Alpha Epsilon Pi as an organization and a Fraternity. On February 19th, 2006 the 12 founding fathers were initiated at Northwestern University to the ranks of brotherhood and officially became the Beta Delta colony. From that point on we knew that our journey was not over and we had much more to prove to become an official chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi.
In our second year on campus we continued to grow and let everyone know that Alpha Epsilon Pi had arrived at DePaul University. After adding over 12 men to our roster we began to expand in many different areas and brought new and fresh ideas to our organization. Our philanthropy and community service work began to expand beyond our expectations as we continued to give back to the community. That year we collected awards in academic excellence at the end of the year; highest GPA out of all of Greek life at DePaul University from spring 2005-Winter 2006.
In the spring of 2006 the Beta Delta Colony raised $1,996 in Philanthropy and performed 211 hours in community service. With more members we began to plan bigger events, like our annual Hot Dog Days where we sell hotdogs in the quad and our Home Run Derby where students could step up and take there best swing to try and win prizes. Both fundraisers are for our national philanthropy’s and were very helpful in getting our name out on campus.
In the summer of 2007 we were informed that we were nominated by the national fraternity for colony of the year and we would find out the results at the national convention later that summer. While we did not win this award we were honored with “The Mellinium Club” award for outstanding donations to our national philanthropy’s and the “Phillip Cohen Communal Service Award” for outstanding work in community service. During this convention the brothers in attendance learned that we would no longer be a colony and we had worked hard enough to become an official chapter! All of the hard work that the brothers put in paid off. The brotherhood is looking forward to our charter banquet in the spring of 2008. It has been an incredible journey so far and we cannot wait to begin the next stage of our progression as an official chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi.
Thank you to everyone who has helped us on our journey these past three years. Your contribution, time, and effort is greatly appreciated.
-The Beta Delta Chapter
AEPi National
Mission Statement
Alpha Epsilon Pi, the Jewish Fraternity of North America, was founded to provide opportunities for Jewish men seeking the best possible college and fraternity experience. We have maintained the integrity of our purpose by strengthening our ties to the Jewish community and serving as a link between high school and career. Alpha Epsilon Pi develops leadership for the North American Jewish community at a critical time in a young man’s life.
Our heritage stems from one source: young Jewish men banding together in allegiance. The role of Alpha Epsilon Pi has expanded since its inception in 1913. Initially, the Jewish fraternity served as a brotherhood of young men who came from similar religious backgrounds and who had experienced the same prejudices against their religious beliefs. Alpha Epsilon Pi soon broadened its role to include serving as the living quarters for some of its members. The fraternity became a home away from home, providing the same stabilizing and guiding values that students previously gained from their families. Armed with these values, Alpha Epsilon Pi faced changing conditions on the college campus and survived. Today, Jewish students search out Alpha Epsilon Pi because it is a Jewish Fraternity. In the fraternity’s 92-year history, over 77,000 men have worn the badge of Alpha Epsilon Pi and each year, over 1,800 undergraduates perform the Ritual of Initiation, which remains the same ritual adopted decades ago.Perhaps of greater importance, Alpha Epsilon Pi develops leadership for the future of the American Jewish community. Tomorrow’s Jewish leaders are in our chapters today. These are the young men who must be counted upon to support Jewish causes and to prepare to be one of tomorrow’s Jewish leaders, so that they may aid themselves, their family, their community, and their people. Those students who enter the mainstream of non-Jewish life on the campus are far more likely to assimilate and to forsake their heritage. Working together with the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life/International Hillel, Alpha Epsilon Pi can play a vital role in helping reverse the growing trend among our young people to abandon Judaism at this critical time.Throughout our history, the fraternity setting has served as a "learning laboratory", a testing ground for young men who later become leaders in business, education, government, religion, and science. A goal of our fraternity is to help each student to develop character, to learn responsibility, and to develop a proper set of values through living together in brotherhood. Alpha Epsilon Pi prepares young men for their role in life as responsible citizens.
Therefore, our basic purpose is to provide the opportunity for a Jewish man to be able to join a Jewish organization whose purpose is not specifically religious, but rather social and cultural in nature. Alpha Epsilon Pi is a Jewish fraternity, though non-discriminatory and open to all who are willing to espouse its purpose and values.
