Sonia Newell – Development Officer

Young Jewish leadership – Alpha​ ​Epsilon​ ​Pi

I hope you find this interesting and that you will pass this interview with alumnus Daniel Brockwell on.     

“My first semester of university was filled with the usual challenges of adjusting to campus life and working out my subjects.  That was until I received a call from Grant Bigman in Indianapolis.

He was calling as​ ​a​ ​representative​ of Alpha​ ​Epsilon​ ​Pi, an organisation I had never heard of. It was, Grant said, the ​​only​ ​Jewish​ or intercontinental ​fraternity, ​with​ ​over​ ​100,000​ ​members​ from Canada to Israel.​ ​Unwittingly, through​ ​involvement​ ​in​ ​the Jewish​ ​learning​ ​program ‘​Sinai​ ​Scholars’,​ ​I​ had been asked to help found​​ ​Australia’s​ ​first​ ​fraternity chapter.

Curious​ ​about​ ​the​ ​idea,​ ​I​ ​gave​ ​him​ ​the​ ​names​ ​of​ ​several​ ​other Emanuel​ ​alumni​, including​ ​Jonathan Moallem,​ ​Raphael​ ​Sebban​ ​and​ ​Zachary​ ​Lazarus.​ ​We​ ​collectively​ ​tossed​ ​and​ ​turned,​ ​unsure​ ​of whether​ ​such​ ​a​ ​seemingly​ ​surreal​ ​concept​ ​could​ ​work​ ​in​ ​a​ ​continent​ ​that​ ​had​ ​no​ ​‘Greek​’ presence,​ ​let​ ​alone​ ​one​ ​that​ ​catered​ ​exclusively​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Jewish​ ​community.

If the story stopped there, it wouldn’t be worth telling.

We​ ​took​ ​a​ ​chance​ to form that vision from a meagre 17​ ​and, with strong leadership and perseverance, we have grown to triple that size.​ Today,​ ​as​ ​Vice President, I​ ​now​ ​help​ ​support​ ​the​ ​academic,​ ​professional,​ ​communal​ ​and​ ​religious​ ​development​ ​of​ ​nearly 50​ ​brothers​ (including 12 from Emanuel School) ​across​ ​6​ ​different​ ​tertiary​ ​institutions​ ​in​ ​Sydney,​ ​with​ ​a​ ​dedicated​ ​fraternity​ ​house​ ​at Shalom​ ​College​ ​at​ ​UNSW.

Telling​ ​people​ ​you’re​ ​part​ ​of​ ​a​ ​fraternity​ ​in​ ​Australia​ ​always​ ​elicits​ ​bemused​ ​smirks,​ ​possibly even​ ​a ​”Wait​, ​what’s​ ​a​ ​fraternity?”​ ​It’s​ ​an​ ​exciting​ ​challenge​ ​to create and cultivate something not just for the Jewish community, but for a country in which this sort of organisation is unprecedented. More than that, trying to create an inclusive space for Jews on campus has been its own challenge – one that, with more than 1200 visitors in the last few months, I believe we’ve risen to.

This July, myself and Raphael​ ​had​ ​the​ ​phenomenal​ opportunity​ ​to learn​ ​from​ ​Jewish​ ​leaders​ ​in​ ​government,​ ​business,​ ​charity​ ​and​ ​religion for a week and a half​ ​at the 2018 AEPi International Convention in Las Vegas. There, it ​was​ ​announced that​ ​we​ ​were​ ​being​ ​officially​ ​chartered​ ​as​ ​a​ ​Chapter,​ ​having been​ ​a​ ​colony​ ​for​ ​a​ ​mere​ ​12​ ​months​. As​ ​a​ ​deafening applause​ ​of​ ​over​ ​1000​ ​people​ ​greeted​ ​the​ ​small​ ​Australian​ ​contingent​ ​that​ ​stood​ ​up,​ ​it​ ​really clicked​ ​for​ ​me​ ​just​ ​how​ ​strong​ ​the​ ​Jewish​ ​community​ ​was,​ ​regardless​ ​of​ ​location​ ​or​ ​language.

With​ ​a​ ​chapter​ ​in​ ​Melbourne​ ​in​​ ​progress​,​ and a sorority showing interest, ​we’re​ ​excited​ ​to​ ​be​ ​developing​ ​a sense​ ​of​ ​brotherhood​ ​among​ ​young​ ​Jewish​ ​men​ ​at​ ​university​ ​regardless​ ​of​ ​religiosity,​ ​faculty​ ​or schooling​ ​background.​ ​Our​ ​vision​ ​is​ ​to​ ​support​ ​Jewish​ ​men​ ​at​ ​university​ ​in​ ​developing​ ​the​ ​skills and​ ​experience​ ​to​ ​become​ ​leaders​ ​in​ ​whatever​ ​field​ ​their​ ​passion​ ​lies.

Any and all Year 12 students​ ​interested​ ​in​ ​learning​ ​more​ ​about​ ​upcoming​ ​recruitment​ ​for 2018,​ ​contact​ ​aepisydney@gmail.com ​or​ ​feel​ ​free​ ​to​ ​reach​ ​out​ ​to​ ​me​ ​personally.”

Daniel​ ​Brockwell,​ ​Class​ ​of​ ​2015​ ​and​ ​UNSW​ ​Commerce/Computer​ ​Science​ ​student    

Friendship Circle Toy Drive

A fun and meaningful volunteer activity for primary aged children and their parents on 5 November, 3 to 5pm @ Friendship Circle, 339 Old South Head Rd, Bondi.
Decorate a card and wrap a gift to brighten the life of a child with disability. This is a great introduction to Friendship Circle – children will learn about the power of community, the art of giving and explore the common human needs of children with disabilities. 
You are welcome to bring a toy to gift or you can wrap toys that we have already collected in the Toy Drive.

To RSVP for decorate and wrap on 5 November: hello@sydneyfc.org.au

To make a donation: www.sydneyfc.org.au/toydrive                                                 

VOICES

A spectacular cross-cultural musical event is coming to Australia.

VOICES, a musical journey that merges the melodies, harmonies and rhythms of Israel, Africa and the world, comes to Sydney on Sunday 19 and Monday 20 November with  24 Professional performers including the group, BLACK YOGHURT. VOICES is a not-for-profit project presenting a world-class touring Jewish cultural event. All profits from the Sydney concerts go to Friendship Circle.

Every musical journey begins with a dream. And when this dream converges into reality, the results can be breathtaking. Such is the story of VOICES, the latest in the series of ‘Celebration’ spectaculars (including Celebration 60 which wowed Australian audiences!). Again conceived and created by legendary South African cantor Oshy Tugendhaft, VOICES fuses Hebrew, English and African music into a blend that emerges as a different genre of music altogether.

FOR BOOKINGS:    www.voicesoshyaustralia.com.au

ART HOP 2017

Celebrating five years: www.arthop.com.au

Enjoy the scenic walk from Bondi to Vaucluse on 25 or 26 November whilst visiting local artists, including ceramic artist and past parent Lia Klugman, in their studios.