“Where there is a strong AEPi and there is a strong Hillel – even if bad stuff has been happening on campus – you’re going to have the support that you need. And that’s the biggest thing. That’s where you become leaders. As we have said for years, ‘When it is bad for the Jews, it’s also good for the Jews.’ We don’t want bad things to happen, but it gives us an opportunity to rise to the occasion, to be leaders. And, that’s the real strength of AEPi.”
Brother Rabbi Larry Sernovitz (Pittsburgh, 1995) has seen his career path come full circle. Still caring and tending for the Jewish community, he is now back on campus after more than 16 years developing Jewish communities. Most recently, he was the Senior Rabbi of Temple Kol Emeth in Marietta, GA. Prior to that he served as Founding Rabbi & Executive Director of Nafshenu of Cherry Hill, NJ. Previously, he was a Rabbi with Temple Emanuel of Cherry Hill, NJ and Assistant Rabbi with Old York Road Temple-Beth Am of Abington, PA.
In March of 2023, Brother Sernovitz was named the chief executive officer of Hillels of Georgia (HGA) which serves thousands of students including at Hillel centers at Emory University, the University of Georgia, Kennesaw State University, and Georgia College.
And it all started at the Phi Delta chapter of AEPi at the University of Pittsburgh.
“I started at Pitt in the fall of 1991 and pledged AEPi shortly after that. We didn’t realize the dynamics of fraternity life. There was some dissension in the chapter and, by the next year, the fraternity sort of floundered and died,” Sernovitz recalled. “I was lucky to be connected with Marc Katz (Past Supreme Master Marc Katz, also a Pittsburgh alumnus) and he helped us get through it when the whole thing fell apart in our sophomore year.”
“Marc’s mentorship was probably the biggest support system that I had at that time. That’s one of the things that sets apart AEPi, the relationships with alumni and others. (Past Supreme Master) Richard Stein was another one of those mentors and (former ELC) Don Melnick, who is still one of my close friends.”
“We were able to put it back together and build it back up to where we were pretty strong when we graduated. It was about leadership, about brotherhood, about loyalty, about faith and about building bridges, which was really critical for us with the university and the IFC. It was about being resilient, as the Jewish people always have been.”
“My Jewish life on campus was AEPi.”
Between his junior and senior years in college, Sernovitz interned at the AEPi offices in Indianapolis. “Sid Dunn (former executive vice-president) and Don Melnick were there in Indy. That’s where I got to see what was happening on a national level and how we supported chapters across the country. That’s when I first got the idea of the role that AEPi National plays in developing leaders for the future. I was very thankful to have so many mentors who helped train me in leadership.”
“It only takes one person to invest and believe in you, and the rest is history. That’s what is so powerful about my experience.”
As his career path turned him back to campus leadership, he has confronted new challenges. “We have a crisis in the United States right now, and particularly, with young people connecting with the Jewish community. When I was presented with this opportunity (to become CEO of HGA), I said to myself that if I really want to make an impact on the future of the Jewish community, this is where it’s at. So, I committed to the job.
Brother Sernovitz, his wife and three children (including a legacy-to-be) jumped into the new role on campuses.
“After only a couple of months, October 7 happened, and we have had the opportunity to support thousands of students across the state of Georgia.”
One added benefit of his new role is that he has had the chance to reconnect with AEPi.
“I’ve connected with most of the chapters and their presidents, especially after there was an assault at the University of Georgia. We brought together a bunch of AEPi chapter presidents and had a conversation about how we can support them.”
Sernovitz is concerned for the upcoming fall semester and what Jewish students might have to confront. “This is not just about antisemitism and anti-Zionism, but it’s also more about the destabilization of the American university system. These are the bigger issues that have been planted, you know, 20, 30 years ago by lots of money on campuses and student groups like Students for Justice in Palestine. But we’re on to it and understand it. We’re in a better position to deal with it now because universities had no idea what hit them after October 7.”
“I’ve had lots of conversations with parents and other people who ask me, ‘Where do we send our kids now?’ We don’t want students to have a mass exodus from schools because when Jews stop going to schools, they become havens for antisemitism and anti-Zionist behaviors. Our students are the ambassadors to the Jewish people.”
“AEPi does the work on campus. Having strong Jewish life, and a strong AEPi and Hillel only helps the college environment. Having Jews on campus won’t make antisemitism go aways but we need Jewish leaders to advocate and work with the administrations to do the right thing.”
The mission of AEPi is developing the future leaders of the Jewish community. Rabbi Sernovitz is one of those leaders and he is living our mission as he develops the next generation of leaders at a time when we need them most.
#ProudtobeaPi