Oh okay *phew* I thought it was going to be like "you can't join since your jewish" type thing hehe...Yay now I'm more optomistic!! :) Thanks for the information

Me too!! I'm also a little bit concerned about that, but hopefully everything will be fine!

Check out the websites...if there are Bible quotes, Bible study mentioned PROMINENTLY (as in more than chapter aerobics or whatever) or something like "we as members of XYZ all glory in Jesus Christ" (I've seen this on a chapter of a national group) you might not want to go there. Other than that, I wouldn't worry.

This is why I get kind of antsy when I hear about chapter Bible studies (or any other sort of religious or political thing within the chapter)...it might make PNMs feel uncomfy. An all-Greek Bible study would be a different story.

Chapters that do have optional Bible studies likely will mention them during rush, which allows rushees to cut that group if they're not comfortable with that, instead of being blindsided with that information after pledging. Only you can decide if you'd be comfortable belonging to a group knowing that one of their activities doesn't match your beliefs. Would that make you feel excluded? On the other hand, you may consider it a small part of the overall picture, like not playing on the chapter softball team if you aren't athletic. It's your call.

Good luck with Recruitment, RedFox!!! :)

Suggestion....if you are worried about it, mention it and also maybe look into sororities that were founded with Jews....at my campus SDT and AEPhi are known as the 'Jewish' ones for that reason and you see alot of Jews in them (both of course have there share of non-Jews also, but something like Bible studies will never happen there!)..Good luck to you and the rest of the PNM's on rush!

UT doesn't have SDT. It used to have AEPhi. One of my mother's close friends was in it. This was in the 1950s. I don't know when the chapter closed.

Pam/Rachel,

I hear you loud and clear. I am of Jewish decent-- when I went through I was actually VP of our campus Hillel--- and I remember going into one of the houses during recruitment and hearing a chapter president read the sorority creed, which said, "I believe in the high ideals of Christian womanhood" (I am paraphrasing) and I TOTALLY FREAKED OUT. This was at prefs and I was in LOVE with that sorority. I was so confused.... I went to the next house, which was made up of mostly Jewish sisters. I enjoyed spending time with those women, but even more, I realized that other house-- where I had a momentary panic attack, was really where I belonged.

Today, I'm so glad I didn't let a couple of words get in my way, b/c I have made some of the best friends of my life in Alpha Delta Pi. And no that's not a shameless plug for my sorority, it's just the gosh-honest truth.
Anyway, join a house for the women who are there, ask good questions and get straight answers. Be yourself. The sororities you are rushing are not religious orders; they are historically Judeo-Christian values-based organizations. Don't let a couple historical references scare you off. Some of the sororities do have bible study, but some have academic study-buddy programs, etc., and all of those things are optional, based on your needs and interests. There is no NPC sorority that has a mandatory bible study for its members.

Hope this helps.

Jew- Love (hee hee),
Abbey

GOOD LUCK!

As a UT alumna, I am absolutely sure that Pam can find a home there.

Happy to say that Alpha Chi Omega is completely non denominational! In fact my chapter's current president is jewish as are both of my little sis' though I myself am not!

Thanks girls!!! I feel so much better about the whole issue!!! :)

:)
 

Thanks guys! Sorry I didn't respond earlier, I went camping and white water rafting this weekend and I just got back! It was awesome, really a lot of fun (despite getting eaten alive by bugs!! lol but I think thats just because I'm so sweet ;)) Hope everyone had a great weekend too! :D

A question for actives and alumni: How has being in a sorority been beneficial to you personally? I was thinking about that this weekend and I would love to know :) Share your answers if you'd like :D

Good lord, I am the poster child for how a sorority can benefit a person! :)

I can honestly say I have made my best and closest friends through my sorority. While many are my sisters, still many are not, but I would never have met those friends had it not been for our connection to ADPi. In college, enjoyed the experience of living in the sorority house, having the experience of going to school events like football games, etc., with HUGE groups (which makes it ever the more interesting and fun!), and just such unique little fun things.... it just made college even more amazing.

The working world: Every internship in college, every professional opportunity I have had-- again, the sorority networking! Whether it was a sister who recommended me, a sister who was my boss, a fellow Recruitment Counselor passing my name onto her intern employer, or my sorority house roommate's oldest sister taking me under her wing when I moved 3,000 miles away--- the friendships you make not only enrich your life personally, but 1000x professionally.

As an alumna, I moved away from my state not long after graduation. I knew about two people, and then I joined the Alumnae Assoc in Los Angeles. Now my closest and dearest friends are the sisters I have met through the association. It's funny, too, b/c even though we are all from different colleges and universities, I have yet to meet an ADPi that I couldn't see fitting into my own chapter. I think most sorority women feel that way, too. It's a great comfort to know you can pick up, move and start all over in a new place... but your sorority will always be home, no matter what phase of life you are in. I can't emphasize enough that sorority life is not just a college thing, just an eosteric ritual, just a status symbol-- it really is a way of life. A lifetime experience.

As you can see, the benefts are many. But they don't come overnight. Friendship is something you have to work out, so come around, show your face, call people--- you'll be richly rewarded for making the effort :)