Relations between the Jewish community and GLOs

[kappaloo]

Originally posted by Rudey

Now last time I checked, the guys in the UofT AEPi chapter were great. They were a large chapter given the fact that they were recent. They are highly decorated every year when it comes to awards. They have given the international fraternity several travelling consultants already. They are highly involved in the community and donate money and time and even did a holocaust rememberance ceremony there.

-Rudey
--Regardless of what you say and what you claim to know, they exist, they thrive, and those results obviously mean they are in demand even though they don't "mesh".

I was under the impressions the reason that the UofT AEPi's don't 'mesh' with the rest of the Toronto Greeks is because they don't try ... are they even recognized on campus?

[Rudey]

Originally posted by kappaloo
I was under the impressions the reason that the UofT AEPi's don't 'mesh' with the rest of the Toronto Greeks is because they don't try ... are they even recognized on campus?

I don't have the answer to whether they are recognized.

Can I flip this on you and ask you a few questions?

-What does meshing mean? Should they exist to please other fraternities and GLOs?

-How would you suggest that they "try"? Do you know for sure that they don't? Have the other sororities tried to do any programming with them?

-Rudey

[Tom Earp]

Ah Rudey, this Old Man has seen so much more than Your little time on earth has and maybe ever see!

I would love to say something derogatory about you, but you do it your self! Oh, I and I might say so well!

[Rudey]

Originally posted by Tom Earp
Ah Rudey, this Old Man has seen so much more than Your little time on earth has and maybe ever see!

I would love to say something derogatory about you, but you do it your self! Oh, I and I might say so well!

Tom, you may have seen a lot but you've gone through life with one eye open. I don't have much else to say.

-Rudey

[RACooper]

Originally posted by kappaloo
I was under the impressions the reason that the UofT AEPi's don't 'mesh' with the rest of the Toronto Greeks is because they don't try ... are they even recognized on campus?

They are trying a little more (along with APhiA) to involve themselves in the GLO community. I have seen them once or twice at the Maddy, but other than that no. As for mixers I haven't personally heard of anything (I don't know any of the actives personally and the alumni and me don't exactly get along). It would be nice to see them at any of the Greek Week events or to come out to any of the pub nights, parties, or sport's nights.

As for recognition that's a little complicated. UofT GLOs are not offically recognized by UofT on an indvidual basis. For example KKG isn't recognized but Pan Hel is. AEPi has some recognition because of Hillel, but only as pertaining to philanthropy events (they do a food and clothing drive). So if they wanted to set up a booth for recruitment, the colleges would say no; but if the wanted to set up a drop-off point for their food/clothing drive then the colleges can decide on a case by case basis (for example I approved as president of Woodsworth 2 years ago).

[Buttonz]

Something that I wanted to add to what I said before....as far as I know no GLO on my campus has a problem with a Jew missing Friday night events. However, we are the only ones that have it in our by-laws that we can't hold an event on a Friday night or a Jewish holiday. Yes it makes things tough, but we do that so no one has to miss out on anything.

AXORissa, thanxs for trying to explain the diffrent leavels. I didnt' even want to go there, I think on a basic level yo udid very well

[chioprincess]

I am a Jewish girl in a nationally recognized Christian Sorority. In my chapter there are about 15 Jewish members. There has never been an issue with missing an event due to a religious holiday etc. We tend not to schedule events during a holiday etc.. If something does occur we are of course excused. A lot of my sisters who arn't Jewish often come to Hillel for events. Hillel even used our chapter room for an event . I have never been in a situation where I've had to choose my religion over my sisters!

[aephi alum]

Originally posted by Buttonz
However, we are the only ones that have it in our by-laws that we can't hold an event on a Friday night or a Jewish holiday. Yes it makes things tough, but we do that so no one has to miss out on anything.

My chapter did the same thing. In addition, we ruled that we could not schedule events on the major holidays of any religion that a sister or new member practiced. This led to an interesting argument between me and our president when she wanted to schedule chapter on Easter Sunday... I had to explain to her in really little words that Christian holidays don't end at sunset like Jewish holidays do

The only problem was that round 1 of rush was Friday night and Saturday, and a couple of our Orthodox sisters refused to participate, leaving us short on sisters at the worst time...

[AEPhiSierra]

Originally posted by Buttonz
Something that I wanted to add to what I said before....as far as I know no GLO on my campus has a problem with a Jew missing Friday night events. However, we are the only ones that have it in our by-laws that we can't hold an event on a Friday night or a Jewish holiday.

We almost never hold chapter events on Friday or Christian Holidays either but we never made it a by-law. The sad part is there are GLO's on my campus that have not give people bids because they can't come to Friday events because of religious observances and it's really sad.

And as for AEPhi's affiliation with Hillel, we do have a national affiliation with Hillel (I confirmed this with my Traveling Education Consultant last semester) but as chapter President I have never seen anything done with this affiliation. We have never been specifically told we have to participate in their events or support them by National during the years I have been active.

[Buttonz]

Originally posted by AEPhiSierra
We almost never hold chapter events on Friday or Christian Holidays either but we never made it a by-law. The sad part is there are GLO's on my campus that have not give people bids because they can't come to Friday events because of religious observances and it's really sad.

I'm sure I can guess at least two GLO's that do this, and my opinion on them is that the PNM's are better off going where they are wanted. If a GLO dosen't want to respect a persons holidays, who knows what else they might choose not to respect?

[AXORissa]

Originally posted by Buttonz
However, we are the only ones that have it in our by-laws that we can't hold an event on a Friday night or a Jewish holiday. Yes it makes things tough, but we do that so no one has to miss out on anything.

is that in your chapter by-laws or your national? were Recruitment events held on Shabbat? I know here SDT participated in all events on Shabbat here, and probably any religious girls just excluded themselves. Also, SDT wasnt exclusively Jewish, so there were always girls to represent them.

AXORissa, thanxs for trying to explain the diffrent leavels. I didnt' even want to go there, I think on a basic level yo udid very well

No problem I realize I completely oversimplified things, but oh well.

[AXORissa]

Originally posted by AEPhiSierra
We almost never hold chapter events on Friday or Christian Holidays either but we never made it a by-law. The sad part is there are GLO's on my campus that have not give people bids because they can't come to Friday events because of religious observances and it's really sad.

My chapter never held events on main Jewish or Christian holidays. The chapter was very considerate of the holidays because so many of us were Jewish.

[aephi alum]

Originally posted by AXORissa
is that in your chapter by-laws or your national? were Recruitment events held on Shabbat?

I know you directed this at Buttonz... but for AEPhi, no, the idea of not having mandatory events on Jewish holidays is not dictated by nationals - it was something my chapter chose to do, seeing as we had so many Jewish members. We are very open and welcoming to those of other faiths, which is why we added that we would not have mandatory events on the major holidays of any other religion that a member practiced.

Round 1 of formal recruitment was held on Shabbat. That was the only exception that we made to the "no events on holidays" rule, since Panhel dictated the dates. Any Jewish sister could ask to be excused. But my chapter was by far the smallest on campus to begin with, and not having some sisters around during round 1 only emphasized that.

ETA: Then there was the time that our (Jewish!) director of Greek Life scheduled a mandatory IFC president's meeting ON YOM KIPPUR... (sororities were IFC members at the time)

[AXORissa]

Originally posted by aephi alum


Round 1 of formal recruitment was held on Shabbat. That was the only exception that we made to the "no events on holidays" rule, since Panhel dictated the dates. Any Jewish sister could ask to be excused. But my chapter was by far the smallest on campus to begin with, and not having some sisters around during round 1 only emphasized that.

I feel ya Yeah, we always had formal recruitment on Shabbat, but I guess we're all too secular too care (at least the Jews in my chapter, I dont know about SDT, we didnt have AEPhi..)

ETA: Then there was the time that our (Jewish!) director of Greek Life scheduled a mandatory IFC president's meeting ON YOM KIPPUR... (sororities were IFC members at the time)

woah... I dont think we ever had anything scheduled on a major holiday, we'd all freak.

I'd say on a campus of about 40,000 students, 20% being Jewish... the Greek system had to be about 50%-- "Jersey Japs..." I can say that, being one :P

[Buttonz]

Originally posted by AXORissa
is that in your chapter by-laws or your national? were Recruitment events held on Shabbat?

It's our chapter by-laws, not national. THen again, we have 70% Jewiwhs all in diffrent levels. Being as a commuter school, no recruitment events are held Fri-Sundays so there is no problems there