This is a list of historically Jewish fraternities and sororities in the United States and Canada. These organizations exemplify (or exemplified) a range of "Jewishness"; some are historically Jewish in origin but later became strictly secular. Some remain more celebratory of their Jewish roots from a historical perspective only, and some actively promote Jewish culture and religious traditions within their current program.
The terms "fraternity" and "sorority" are used somewhat interchangeably, with men's and co-ed groups always using "fraternity", and women's groups using either "fraternity" or "sorority". For convenience, the term "Greek letter society" is a generic substitute. The word "Greek" in this case refers to the use of Greek letters for each society's name, and not to Greek ethnicity.
Collegiate
The following list include the larger groups. There were many Jewish local chapters formed at universities around the United States, most of which eventually became a chapter of these larger entities. Bold indicates active groups. Italic indicates dormant groups, or those which merged into another, larger society.
Social fraternities
Name | Symbols | Charter date and range | Founding location | Affiliation | Scope | Active chapters | Status | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alpha Epsilon Pi | ΑΕΠ | November 7, 1913 | New York University | FFC | International | 146 | Active | |
Alpha Eta Phi | ΑΗΦ | February 22, 1922–19xx ? | 0 | Inactive | ||||
Alpha Mu Sigma | ΑΜΣ | March 1914–1963 | Cooper Union | Independent | National | 0 | Inactive, Merged | |
Beta Sigma Rho | ΒΣΡ | October 12, 1910–1920 | Cornell University | NIC | National | 0 | Merged | |
Hai Resh | November 8, 1908–19xx ? | 0 | Merged | |||||
Kappa Nu | ΚΝ | November 12, 1911–1961 | University of Rochester | NIC | National | 0 | Merged | |
Mu Alpha Delta | ΜΑΔ | 1923–19xx ? | City University of New York | National | 0 | Inactive | ||
Mu Sigma | ΜΣ | 1906–19xx ? | 0 | Inactive | ||||
Omicron Alpha Tau | ΟΑΤ | May 1912–1934 | Cornell University | NIC | National | 0 | Merged | |
Phi Alpha | ΦΑ | October 14, 1914–1959 | George Washington University | NIC | National | 0 | Merged | |
Phi Beta Delta | ΦΒΔ | 1912–1941 | Columbia University | NIC | National | 0 | Merged | |
Phi Delta Mu | ΦΔΜ | 1920–c. 1935–1940 | City University of New York | National | 0 | Inactive | ||
Phi Delta Pi | ΦΔΠ | 1899–c. 1955 | New York City, New York | National | 0 | Merged | ||
Phi Epsilon Pi | ΦΕΠ | November 13, 1904–1970 | New York City, New York | NIC | International | 0 | Merged | |
Phi Lambda Delta | ΦΛΔ | 1920–19xx ? | Columbia University | Regional | 0 | Inactive | ||
Phi Sigma Delta | ΦΣΔ | November 10, 1909–1970 | Columbia University | NIC | National | 0 | Merged | |
Pi Lambda Phi | ΠΛΦ | March 21, 1895 | Yale University | NIC | International | 44 | Active | |
Pi Tau Pi | ΠΤΠ | November 9, 1909–19xx ? | National | 0 | Inactive | |||
Sigma Alpha Mu | ΣΑΜ | November 26, 1909 | City College of New York | NIC | International | 50 | Active | |
Sigma Lambda Pi | ΣΛΠ | 1915–1932 | New York University | Independent | National | 0 | Merged | |
Sigma Omega Psi | ΣΩΨ | 1914–1940 | College of the City of New York | National | 0 | Merged | ||
Sigma Tau Epsilon | ΣΤΕ | 1923–19xx ? | National | 0 | Inactive | |||
Sigma Tau Phi | ΣΤΦ | 1918–1947 | University of Pennsylvania | National | 0 | Merged | ||
Tau Delta Mu | ΤΔΜ | 1920–19xx ? | City University of New York | National | 0 | Inactive | ||
Tau Delta Phi | ΤΔΦ | June 10, 1910 | New York City, New York | NIC | National | 5 | Active | |
Tau Epsilon Phi | ΤΕΦ | October 10, 1910 | Columbia University | NIC | International | 25 | Active | |
Tau Sigma Omicron | ΤΣΟ | 1917–19xx ? | National | 0 | Merged | |||
Zeta Beta Tau | ΖΒΤ | December 29, 1898 | Jewish Theological Seminary | NIC | International | 82 | Active |
Notes
- Started as Beta Samach. The second symbol in the name was Hebrew. Beta Samach changed its name with the chartering of its third chapter, becoming Beta Sigma Rho.
- Merged with Pi Lambda Phi in 1920.
- Merged with Pi Tau Pi.
- Merged with Phi Epsilon Pi in 1961.
- Merged with Tau Delta Phi in 1934.
- Merged with Phi Sigma Delta in 1959.
- Merged with Pi Lambda Phi in 1941.
- Cornell's Zeta chapter merged into Phi Beta Delta in 1935.
- Merged with Tau Kappa Epsilon.
- Merged with Zeta Beta Tau in 1970.
- Expanded to five chapters.
- Merged with Zeta Beta Tau in 1970.
- Founded as non-sectarian but was predominantly Jewish until the end of World War II.
- The fraternity dropped its Jewish affiliation and became open to men of all faiths in 1953.
- The Rider University chapter of Sigma Lambda Pi retained the former national's name as a local, later adding a second chapter. Both are dormant. Merged with Phi Epsilon Pi.
- Three active chapters merged with Alpha Epsilon Pi in 1940.
- Originally only admitted Jewish men in the fields of Engineering and Architecture but changed to all Jewish men after the addition of a second chapter.
- Merged with Alpha Epsilon Pi in 1947.
- Expanded to around ten chapters.
- Tau Delta Phi was the first NIC fraternity to integrate by welcoming all races, creeds, ethnicities, and religions in 1945, and was the first to open membership to include transgender, gender fluid, and non-binary members in February 2021.
- Seven chapters merged with Alpha Epsilon Pi.
- Originally a Zionist youth society, its became nonsectarian and opened to non-Jewish members in 1954. Considered the first Jewish fraternity.
Social sororities
Name | Symbols | Charter date and range | Founding location | Location | Affiliation | Scope | Active chapters | Status | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alpha Epsilon Phi | ΑΕΦ | October 24, 1909 | Barnard College | New York, New York | NPC | National | 50 | Active | |
Delta Phi Epsilon | ΔΦΕ | March 17, 1917 | New York University Law School | New York, New York | NPC | International | 110 | Active | |
Delta Pi | ΔΠ | November 2, 1989 | York University | York, Canada | Independent | Regional | 4 | Active | |
Iota Alpha Pi | ΙΑΠ | March 3, 1903–July 1971 | New York City Normal College (now Hunter College) | New York, New York | NPC | International | 0 | Inactive | |
Pi Alpha Tau | ΠΑΤ | May 1917–c. 1950 | Hunter College | New York, New York | Independent | National | 0 | Inactive | |
Phi Sigma Sigma | ΦΣΣ | November 26, 1913 | Hunter College | New York, New York | NPC | National | 115 | Active | |
Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi | ΣΑΕΠ | October 1, 1998 | University of California, Davis | Davis, California | Independent | National | 12 | Active | |
Sigma Delta Tau | ΣΔΤ | March 25, 1917 | Cornell University | Ithaca, New York | NPC | National | 64 | Active | |
Zeta Beta Omega | ΖΒΩ | December 3, 2018 | University of Toronto, St. George Campus | Toronto, Canada | Independent | Local | 1 | Active |
Professional
Information on the continuing activity of some of these societies may be missing. Active groups are listed in bold. Inactive groups are listed in italic.
Name | Symbols | Charter date and range | Founding location | Focus | Affiliation | Scope | Active chapters | Status | Notes | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alelph Yodh He | איה | 1907–1921 | Chicago College of Medicine and Surgery | Medical | National | 0 | Merged | |||
Alpha Omega | ΑΩ | December 20, 1907 | Baltimore, Maryland | Dental | Independent | International | 125 | Active | ||
Alpha Zeta Gamma | ΑΖΓ | 1910–September 17, 1932 | Chicago College of Dental Surgery | Dental | Independent | National | 0 | Merged | ||
Alpha Zeta Omega | ΑΖΩ | December 19, 1919 | Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science | Pharmacy | Independent | National | 42 | Active | coed | |
Iota Theta | ΙΘ | 1918–19xx ? | Law | 0 | Inactive | |||||
Kappa Epsilon Phi | ΚΕΦ | 1930–19xx ? | Alfred University | Engineering | National | 0 | Inactive | |||
Lambda Alpha Phi | ΛΑΦ | 1919–19xx ? | Law | 0 | Inactive | |||||
Lambda Gamma Phi | ΛΓΦ | October 21, 1921–19xx ? | Law | 0 | Inactive | |||||
Lambda Epsilon Xi | ΛΕΞ | 1936 or earlier–19xx ? | Law | 0 | Inactive | |||||
Lambda Omicron Gamma | ΛΟΓ | 1924 | Osteopaths | Active | ||||||
Mu Beta Chi | ΜΒΧ | 1933–19xx ? | Business | 0 | Inactive | |||||
Mu Sigma Pi | ΜΣΠ | January 18, 1932–19xx ? | Optometrists | 0 | Inactive | |||||
Nu Beta Epsilon | ΝΒΕ | 1919 | Columbus, Ohio | Law | National | 15 | Active | coed | ||
Phi Delta Epsilon | ΦΔΕ | 1903 | Cornell University Medical College | Medical | PFA | International | 182 | Active | coed | |
Phi Lambda Kappa | ΦΛΚ | 1907 | University of Pennsylvania | Medical | International | 41 | Active | coed | ||
Phi Sigma Mu | ΦΣΜ | 1932–19xx ? | Omaha University Night Law School | Law | Local | 0 | Inactive | |||
Rho Pi Phi | ΡΠΦ | January 3, 1919 | Massachusetts College of Pharmacy | Pharmacy | PFA | National | Active | coed | ||
Sigma Epsilon Delta | ΣΕΔ | 1901–19xx ? | University of Pennsylvania | Dental | Local | 0 | Inactive | |||
Sigma Iota Zeta | ΣΙΖ | 1933–19xx ? | Veterinarians | 0 | Inactive | |||||
Tau Epsilon Rho Law Society | ΤΕΡ | 1921 | Western Reserve University School | Law | National | Active |
Notes
- ^ Although their founders were Jewish, Delta Phi Epsilon and Phi Sigma Sigma are historically nonsectarian sororities.
- Merged with Phi Lambda Kappa
- Merged with Alpha Omega.
- Originally known as the Dead Men's Club.
- The Alfred University chapter was founded in 1930, became Kappa Nu in 1933. The Ohio State chapter was founded in 1935 and lasted two years. No information in Baird's.
- Not to be confused with the fictional fraternity of the same name, from the movie G.O.A.T.
- Baird's 1923 edition has this as a local at Penn; may have expanded to multiple chapters.
- Tau Epsilon Rho formed in 1921 by the merger of the local Lambda Eta Chi Law Fraternity, established in 1919 at Western Reserve University School of Law, and the local Phi Epsilon Rho, established in 1921 at Ohio State University Law School. Both groups were Jewish law fraternities. It became the Tau Epsilon Rho Law Society in 1985.
High school
Information on the continuing activity of some of these societies may be missing. Known active groups are listed in bold; dormant groups are listed in italics.
Name | Symbols | Charter date and range | Founding location | Type | Scope | Active chapters | Status | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aleph Zadik Aleph | אצא | 1924 | Omaha, Nebraska | Fraternity | International | Active | ||
BBG (BBYO) | בבג | 1944 | Omaha, Nebraska | Sorority | International | Active | ||
Iota Phi | ΙΦ | Sorority | National | 0 | Inactive | |||
Phi Beta | ΦΒ | 1920–19xx ? | Faternity | National | 0 | Inactive | ||
Phi Sigma Beta | ΦΣΒ | June 22, 1910 | Fraternity | 0 | Inactive | |||
Phi Sigma Sigma | ΦΣΣ | |||||||
Pi Upsilon Phi | ΠΥΦ | Fraternity | National | 0 | Inactive | |||
Sigma Alpha Rho | ΣΑΡ | November 18, 1917 | West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Fraternity | International | Active | ||
Sigma Theta Pi | ΣΘΠ | 1909 | Sorority | National | 0 | Inactive | ||
Upsilon Lambda Phi | ΥΛΦ | April 5, 1916 | 0 | Inactive |
Notes
- Not to be confused with the professional fraternity for the creative and performing arts.
- Became ΤΔΦ collegiate fraternity in 1914.
- Not to be confused with the international sorority with a similar name, Sigma Thêta Pi, founded in 2003, nor the local Christian fraternity at Howard Payne University, founded in 2004.
See also
- List of Jewish universities and colleges in the United States
- Defunct North American collegiate sororities
- List of social fraternities and sororities
- Cultural interest fraternities and sororities
References
- ^ Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) . Baird's Manual of American Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. ISBN 978-0963715906. Baird's Manual is also available online here: The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage.
- Sanua, Marianne Rachel (2003), Going Greek: Jewish College Fraternities in the United States, 1895–1945, Wayne State University Press, ISBN 0-8143-2857-1
- An example of the former is Tau Delta Phi, a Jewish heritage fraternity that became non-sectarian in 1932. Tau Delta Phi was ethnically Jewish, but not religiously Jewish when it was founded in 1910. Its earliest members were ethnically Jewish but were from all different religious backgrounds. That Fraternity is therefore often grouped with other Jewish fraternities but has long shifted toward a primary identification as "secular".
- ^ Jewish National organizations in the United States, 1941-42 edition, accessed 27 Jan 2020.
- "Beta Samach Changed to Beta Sigma Rho", The Cornell Daily Sun, vol. 40, no. 146, p. 6, April 22, 1920
- ^ Listed in Baird's Archive online, accessed 24 Jan 2021.
- Alpha Kappa Pi notes a chapter of Phi Delta Mu at Newark College of Engineering in their magazine, accessed 27 Jan 2020.
- The organization may have existed beyond 1935. In addition to the CCNY and Cornell chapters, this article references chapters in Lewiston and Portland, Maine, in 1940. Were these at campuses of the University of Southern Maine? Article accessed 26 Jan 2020. From a cursory Google search there appears to have been a chapter at Columbia. Unaffiliated: There may have been a similarly-named but unaffiliated sorority at Drexel University, and a high school sorority of the same name.
- Per Baird's, the Alpha chapter of this four-chapter fraternity joined Tau Kappa Epsilon at Eastern Michigan; the others appear to have scattered.
- "Delta Pi Sorority". Delta Pi Sorority. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- "Toronto Jewish Sorority | Zeta Beta Omega Jewish Sorority". Zeta Beta Omega. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- Journal of the American Dental Association 1932-1933
- Noted in the Minnesota Gopher yearbooks for 1938-'52, with scattered reference to alumni from other schools.
- Archive notes from the University of Minnesota library note the group's founding as the Minnesota Business Club, and soon chartering clubs in Ohio and in Michigan. Minnesota's was the Alpha chapter of the fraternity. Accessed 3 Feb 2020.
- "William Wolfe Heads Phi Sigma Nu Frat" (October 13, 1933) The Jewish Press, vol. 9, no. 37, p. 5. Via issuu, Accessed December 29, 2022.
- "Tau Epsilon Rho Law Society Web Site". www.ter-law.org. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- "Media - Documenting Maine Jewry". mainejews.org. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- "Home Page". www.taudelt.net. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- "Pi Upsilon Phi Meets in Syracuse Sunday" (June 26, 1934) The Jewish Daily Bulletin, vol. 11, no. 2881, p. 5, accessed 27 Jan 2020.
- "Sigma Theta Pi Group to Hold Annual Meeting" (June 26, 1934) The Jewish Daily Bulletin, vol. 11, no. 2881, p. 7, accessed 27 Jan 2020.
- Adler, Cyrus; Szold, Henrietta (1920). American Jewish Year Book. Jewish Publication Society of America.
- "Sigma Theta Pi Sorority Conclave, 1940". digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
Fraternities and sororities | |
---|---|
Academic fraternities originating from North America | |
General | |
History |
|
Historically African-American | |
Historically Asian/Pacific Islander-American | |
Christian fraternities and sororities | |
Historically Jewish | |
Multicultural | |
Historically Scout-affiliated | |
LGBTQ | |
Native American | |
Latino and Puerto Rican | |
Major specific | |
Social sororities | |
Social fraternities | |
See also |