As I write this brief message today, our AEPi staff is bustling as we approach some Autumn milestones.

Recruitment is in full swing on many campuses in North America. Our chapters are very busy recruiting the next generation of leaders for the Jewish community. I’m heartened that we’ve already had some great results. Chapters are reporting an average of 5% more recruits vs. last fall.  Given the current campus climate, the need for Jewish students to have a safe haven and a place to develop as a campus and community leader is crucial. AEPi continues to be a catalyst for Jewish leadership, and I see it every day in both big and small ways. Our alumni and our chapters are standing up to hate, demonstrating their Jewish pride, and advocating for Israel. We couldn’t be prouder to say that we are continuing to fulfil our mission.

We are less than two weeks away from the one-year anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel and our chapters are preparing to mark this solemn occasion by committing themselves to Tikkun Olam, repairing the world. In a world that so desperately needs restoration, AEPi brothers are confronting the challenges head-on by dedicating themselves to make our communities safer and, quite simply, better. Many chapters have coordinated a day of service which engages their broader community, shows the spirit of our people, and pays tribute to the victims of this horrific day.

Over the next few weeks, over 60 of our chapters will be hosting screenings of the documentary, Screams Before Silence, bearing witness to the sexual violence committed by Hamas on October 7. Following the screenings they will lead their peers in discussion about the important topic. This opportunity comes about as a result of a program partnership with Sheryl Sandberg and the Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation. At a recent webinar with our undergraduate members, Sheryl Sandberg commented, “I’m most excited about this partnership with AEPi. The idea that college aged young men would care about this and screen it, shows the kind of leadership that I think we need. I think this is just deeply important.” I could not agree more.

I look forward to sharing with you more about our important partnerships and how AEPi’s undergraduates continue to make a difference on their campuses.

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to wish all of our brothers, parents, friends, and supporters a very happy new year, L’Shanah Tovah. This year has been a difficult one for the Jewish community, both here and in Israel, and I know that our brothers and their families have suffered as they’ve seen the scourge of virulent antisemitism grow throughout the world, and especially on college campuses. I hope we are all able to enjoy the holiday and the time of renewal. Let’s join together and commit to making the coming year a better and safer one for all of us.

May the coming year be filled with health, happiness, prosperity and, most of all, shalom, peace, for each of us and all of Israel.