The Famous Jews of AEPi — and AEPhi
In light of our recent look into Alpha Epsilon Pi, the historically Jewish fraternity, and how tensions over bidding non-Jewish members have led to several chapters disaffiliating with the national organization, we thought we would take a look at the famous Jews that have graced the halls of AEPi, and AEPhi, the historically Jewish sorority. Turns out, there are some good ones.
Mark Zuckerberg
Well, we all know Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard to pursue a little something called Facebook, but before he veered his focus on becoming a 20-something billionaire, he was just another college boy in AEPi.
Richard Lewis
The comedian pledged the Ohio State chapter in the mid 60s – a chapter that two years ago, wanted to bid a non-Jewish man and said it received threats from the national organization.
Wolf Blitzer
This great face of CNN graduated from SUNY Buffalo in 1970 where he pledged himself a brother of AEPi.
Gene Wilder
One of our most beloved Jewish actors, who played Willy Wonka and starred in Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles, and sadly passed away last week, was an AEPi brother at Iowa during his college years.
Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon
It’s not shocking to hear that Simon and Garfunkel pledged the same fraternity at their respective colleges, Queens and Columbia, considering the two grew up three blocks away in Forest Hills, Queens and went to the same elementary, middle and high schools.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
The “Notorious RBG” was a “Famous Phi” at Cornell and years later, so was Lauren Weiseberger, who wrote The Devil Wears Prada.
Other notable alumnus can be found on the websites of AEPi and AEPHi.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
