Rush based on religion?

[aopirose]

You need to add AOII to the list. One of our Founders and our first president was a Jewish woman from New Orleans. We owe Stella so much. BTW - Happy Founders Day, AOII - 107 years of tradition!

Originally posted by shadokat
Back in the day, and this is pretty far back, Jewish women were not accepted into many of the NPC sororities. This is the reason groups such as Phi Sigma Sigma, Delta Phi Epsilon, AEPhi and SDT were started.

[adduncan]

I understand that Theta Phi Alpha was founded for similar reasons for Catholic women.

I received a copy of the 1925 edition of Ida Shaw Martin's Sorority Handbook as a gift for inspiration in AI. It's fascinating to see that with all of the "social progress" that had been made at the time, there are little asterisks scattered throughout with footnotes like, "for Catholic women" and "for Jewish women." And absolutely NO mention of AKA, DST, ZPhiB, or SGRho.

Adrienne

[sugar and spice]

Originally posted by GeekyPenguin
There are quite a few girls from her hometown (on Long Island) that are in these houses that told her she would have no problem getting in during the spring...so I was just going on what she told me.

I imagine that even if they both made quota, they'll probably have at least a couple girls who graduated in December, so if she already knows the girls and they know they want her it wouldn't be too tough to COB. Assuming they're not over total, that is -- but I don't know what total is down there.

Just guessing though.

[Sister Havana]

At IU we have two traditionally Jewish sororities, AEPhi and SDT. Both make quota very easily and I've never heard of either doing informal rush. (However, IU does have the hypercompetitive rush, as discussed earlier on this board.)

SDT at Purdue does NOT do formal rush at all. It does its own informal rush twice a year.

[Nhfulmer]

I pledged at Bama in the fall of 1960. At that time, there were three Jewish sororities (SDT, DPhiE and AEPhi) as well as several Jewish fraternities (ZBT, SAM, AEPi). I believe the Jewish girls came to all of the houses for Ice Water Teas and then could go to only the houses that they wished. At that time, my own sorority could not pledge Jewish girls. Later we could pledge Jewish girls but only if the advisor called their parents first and explained that our ritual was based on the New Testament and got their permission. Even later, the procedure was to explain to the individual rushee that our ritual was based on the New Testament and to ask whether or not she could accept that. I assume that these procedures applied to girls of other religions as well. I do not know if that procedure has changed since I have not been involved in a collegiate rush for about ten years. I do know that nationally we have numerous members at this time who are not Christian and they are accepted as sisters with no thought as to their religious affiliation. When I pledged, the separation between the Jewish sororities and the others was not questioned. After all, there were separate country clubs, Jews could not stay in some hotels in Miami, many non-collegiate fraternal organizations discriminated, etc. I am glad things have changed or I would not have so many wonderful sisters who could not have been accepted when I was at Bama.

[Rudey]

That was a long long time ago.

-Rudey
--Get with the times babe.

Originally posted by Nhfulmer
I pledged at Bama in the fall of 1960. At that time, there were three Jewish sororities (SDT, DPhiE and AEPhi) as well as several Jewish fraternities (ZBT, SAM, AEPi). I believe the Jewish girls came to all of the houses for Ice Water Teas and then could go to only the houses that they wished. At that time, my own sorority could not pledge Jewish girls. Later we could pledge Jewish girls but only if the advisor called their parents first and explained that our ritual was based on the New Testament and got their permission. Even later, the procedure was to explain to the individual rushee that our ritual was based on the New Testament and to ask whether or not she could accept that. I assume that these procedures applied to girls of other religions as well. I do not know if that procedure has changed since I have not been involved in a collegiate rush for about ten years. I do know that nationally we have numerous members at this time who are not Christian and they are accepted as sisters with no thought as to their religious affiliation. When I pledged, the separation between the Jewish sororities and the others was not questioned. After all, there were separate country clubs, Jews could not stay in some hotels in Miami, many non-collegiate fraternal organizations discriminated, etc. I am glad things have changed or I would not have so many wonderful sisters who could not have been accepted when I was at Bama.

[33girl]

Originally posted by Rudey
That was a long long time ago.

-Rudey
--Get with the times babe.

I think that was her point babe - that she is glad things have finally gotten with the times.

[AUDeltaGam]

Originally posted by Nhfulmer
I pledged at Bama in the fall of 1960. At that time, there were three Jewish sororities (SDT, DPhiE and AEPhi) as well as several Jewish fraternities (ZBT, SAM, AEPi). I believe the Jewish girls came to all of the houses for Ice Water Teas and then could go to only the houses that they wished. At that time, my own sorority could not pledge Jewish girls. Later we could pledge Jewish girls but only if the advisor called their parents first and explained that our ritual was based on the New Testament and got their permission. Even later, the procedure was to explain to the individual rushee that our ritual was based on the New Testament and to ask whether or not she could accept that. I assume that these procedures applied to girls of other religions as well. I do not know if that procedure has changed since I have not been involved in a collegiate rush for about ten years. I do know that nationally we have numerous members at this time who are not Christian and they are accepted as sisters with no thought as to their religious affiliation. When I pledged, the separation between the Jewish sororities and the others was not questioned. After all, there were separate country clubs, Jews could not stay in some hotels in Miami, many non-collegiate fraternal organizations discriminated, etc. I am glad things have changed or I would not have so many wonderful sisters who could not have been accepted when I was at Bama.

That seems to answer it! GCers Rock!!

[Rudey]

Originally posted by 33girl
I think that was her point babe - that she is glad things have finally gotten with the times.

And my point is that it hasn't and that the blatant is no longer.

-Rudey
--

[Nhfulmer]

Originally posted by Rudey
And my point is that it hasn't and that the blatant is no longer.

-Rudey
--

I believe you missed my point all together - it helps if you read the entire post! The question was asked about what it was like then and I believe I answered it and additionally answered how the changes in my GLO have progressed over the years. I personally have Jewish heritage and had it been known, I would not have been accepted at the time I pledged. (In fact, it was kept from me because of discrimination. I learned of it while I was in college.) I believe you misinterpreted my post. Of course, I accept your apology - as does my GLO!

By the way, I know it was a long time ago; the question was regarding "a long time ago".

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Thanks Nhfulmer. That answered my question.

[honeychile]

Amazing, the information one can get from GreekChat when you're not rude!!

[Rudey]

Originally posted by Nhfulmer
I believe you missed my point all together - it helps if you read the entire post! The question was asked about what it was like then and I believe I answered it and additionally answered how the changes in my GLO have progressed over the years. I personally have Jewish heritage and had it been known, I would not have been accepted at the time I pledged. (In fact, it was kept from me because of discrimination. I learned of it while I was in college.) I believe you misinterpreted my post. Of course, I accept your apology - as does my GLO!

By the way, I know it was a long time ago; the question was regarding "a long time ago".

Umm, I read your entire post. I'm pretty confident in my reading and comprehension skills. I know what it was before and what it is now. I didn't question your heritage and I didn't say you should have or shouldn't have pledged. I also don't remember an apology anywhere in my post - neither to you nor your GLO. And my post to 33girl should have cleared up the whole "Long time ago" fiasco and it was making fun of those who claim "Hey things are completely A-OK now and weren't in the past but we're not in the past."

Now that we've got that straightened and I made obvious the things I did say and didn't say, I will also say again that what was once obvious is now not. As opposed to having separate rushes, people that might reject someone based on their religion don't do it as openly. That's all I was saying. Nothing more.

-Rudey

[deadbear80]

AUDeltaGam--

It's funny that we're both DG sisters with AEPhi roots! My mom was an AEPhi (as was my Aunt) in the mid-1960s at the University of Michigan (for any AEPhi's out there she was the President of Pi Chapter there). From hearing her stories, she was not allowed to join any of the 'non-Jewish' sororities (limiting her choices to AEPhi, DPhiE, SDT, and PhiSig...they were all on campus at the time...and at that time those four were basically all Jewish there), but she did have to go through rush. What I think happened was that she had to go to all of the houses for the first round, and then was cut by all of the 'non-Jewish' ones. I don't know how the houses knew who was Jewish and who wasn't...but Mom then had her choice of the other 4. I know she preffed AEPhi and DPhiE. Because of the limited choices, I know some of her friends did not get bids.
I know Northern and Southern rushes are very different, but when it comes to religious affiliation of the chapters during rush in the 1960s, I would gather that they are the same as what my Mom went through.
I'll ask Mom exactly how Rush worked when she rushed...PM me later today and I'll be able to tell you.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

I am sure that religion and race play a role in the recruitment process at some schools and some chapters. It is unfortunate. I don't think that anyone is saying it doesn't happen or is advocating it.

I asked a question and appreciate Nhfulmer's honest response about her experience with rush.