Editor’s Note: L’Dor V’Ador. From one generation to the next. Nothing perpetuates the values of AEPi more than seeing young men join their fathers, grandfathers, and biological brothers in our fraternity. During the summer, we will be profiling some brothers who are or had legacies in their families. As an important reminder, if you want to make sure a chapter recruits a legacy, please fill out this form as soon as possible (it must be completed at least two weeks prior to the beginning of the fall term).

When David Foster (Colorado, 1990) was approached about restarting the AEPi chapter at the University of Colorado, he never dreamed of the legacy he would leave on his campus and within his family.

“I got to school and looked at the other fraternity that was sort of Jewish but it didn’t seem to be what I was looking for. I was a NIFTY (reform Jewish youth group). I loved the social experience and community service component of being Jewish. That was one of the driving forces of trying to connect ‘Jewishly’ on campus,” said Foster.

“AEPi decided – conveniently and thankfully to organize on my campus that year. It was more serendipitous than planned that I would find AEPi on campus, I was interested.”

David’s father, Rabbi Steven Foster (Wisconsin, 1965) was an AEPi alumnus and had laid the groundwork with his son. “I knew my dad’s lived experience. It spoke to both the social and Jewish aspects I was looking for on campus. My dad’s experience got me.”

Starting an AEPi chapter is an adventure in the unknown. You attend a few meetings, maybe with a few friends, and you meet some other guys and the next thing you know, you have the opportunity to start a chapter that reflects the group’s personality and exhibits AEP’s values and mission.

“I walked into that first meeting and some of the guys that I met on that first night became my closest friends. One of them is my law partner today. I remember a few months later we went to the Kansas University chapter for initiation. They were a monster chapter at the time and we played football against them and beat them! That is still an experience that we all talk about.”

“Finding those guys, creating that social network was so important to me. But, at the same time, we were super committed to Jewish causes and doing right ‘Jewishly’ on campus. I remember we fought an anti-Israel resolution on campus back then – and we’re still doing it! We put on a concert to benefit the Boulder AIDS project and raised thousands of dollars for them to fight the AIDS epidemic at the time. We got involved with the local synagogue and helping them…it became one of my driving missions.”

The first of his legacies was established. The Chi Upsilon chapter of AEPi today thrives on campus in no small part due to the strength and commitment of its refounders. “It’s pretty jarring to me today to walk into that house and see all of those guys and how great they and think, ‘I never could get into this chapter today!”

His second legacy? His children.

David’s son, Aiden (Colorado, 2025), followed his older sister to the University of Colorado. “By the time Aiden got there, everyone knew him, and his sister made sure that he was known at AEPi. He joined and I surprised him at his initiation.”

“AEPi has become a big part of Aiden’s life and network at college,” David says proudly. “They are great kids, committed to Jewish causes. Last semester, they were the kids who showed up at the rallies to show support for Israel and the Jewish community.”

“Last year, I was on the search committee as the university was looking for a new chancellor. I turned to the AEPi guys and told them that they had to take this seriously. They went to the public meetings and asked the candidates how they would support Jewish students on campus. They made it a really important part of their job to vet the next chancellor.”

David’s youngest son, Bo, will enroll at the University of Colorado in the fall to continue for, at least, another four years, the Foster legacy. “Bo has always seen himself as an AEPi. He wants to work to get the chapter a house. He’s already convinced a lot of his friends that they are going to be AEPi members, as well.”

“AEPi was a part of my life growing up and it grew through my college experience and it has always been a part of my kids’ lives. It has become a big part of who we are.”

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