When Sam Burlison (Oklahoma, 2027) first arrived at the University of Oklahoma, he was not sure what kind of Jewish community he would find.

Originally from Southern California and later Houston, Burlison came to OU and quickly found connection through Jewish life on campus. Through Chabad, he met AEPi Associate Regional Director Dylan Kassman who was working to restart AEPi’s Omega Upsilon chapter at Oklahoma. From there, Burlison became part of a small but growing group of Jewish students working to build something meaningful in Norman.

Today, Oklahoma AEPi may still be young, but its brothers are already making an impact.

Recently, the chapter partnered with Chabad of Norman to prepare matzo ball soup for elderly members of the Jewish community in Oklahoma City. The brothers gathered at Chabad, rolled up their sleeves and spent several hours making the soup from scratch. Rabbi Mendel Goldman, OU’s Chabad rabbi, guided the brothers through the process, showing them how to make the matzo balls while making sure the work remained their own.

“He didn’t really do the stuff for us,” Burlison said. “He showed us an example on how to do it so we could say that we’re the ones that made it.”

The soup was then sent to Chabad in Oklahoma City, about 30 minutes from Norman, where it could be shared with Jewish seniors. For Burlison and the chapter, the project was about more than cooking. It was about showing up for the Jewish community that has helped them find their footing.

“I think that everyone in the chapter really cares about giving to other people, people that are in need,” Burlison said. “When we see these bigger organizations helping us out with getting our feet off the ground, we love to go and help out other people as well, kind of giving back.”

That spirit of giving back is central to the chapter’s identity. Without a house of their own, the brothers rely on Hillel and Chabad for space, support and community. Hillel has opened its building for chapter meetings, watch parties, barbecues and other gatherings. Chabad has become a regular home for Shabbat and Jewish life.

For the Oklahoma brothers, tikkun olam is personal. It is not only an abstract idea or a value written on paper. It is a responsibility to care for others, especially in a Jewish community that Brother Burlison describes as “small but tight knit.”

“When I first showed up, I didn’t think there was going to be that big of a community here in Oklahoma,” Burlison said. “But it’s a small but tight knit group. So being able to do stuff for each other is super rewarding for all of us.”

The brothers are deeply involved in Jewish life on campus and in the broader Oklahoma Jewish community. Burlison said the chapter tries to attend as many Jewish events as possible, including holidays in Oklahoma City and programs at Hillel and Chabad. Most months, the brothers attend Shabbat together three out of four weeks.

That closeness has helped define the chapter. Oklahoma AEPi currently has six brothers. The group began with three members last semester and added three more this semester. While the chapter is small, Burlison sees that as one of its strengths.

“We are still a smaller chapter on the campus, but because of that, we’re very close,” he said. “We’re able to do certain events and certain philanthropy or community service that others might not be able to because of timing, schedules and everything like that.”

The matzo ball soup project was one of the chapter’s first major community service efforts, but the brothers hope it will be the beginning of much more. Burlison said the experience made the chapter want to continue serving both the Jewish community and the broader Norman and Oklahoma City area.

“It made us feel good to help other people,” he said. “Especially when we’re getting help from both of those organizations, Hillel and Chabad, it’s something that we feel like we need to do for others around us as well.”

At a university where the Jewish community may be smaller than in other places, Oklahoma AEPi is helping create a strong, visible and caring Jewish brotherhood. Through service, partnership and a commitment to tikkun olam, the chapter is showing that impact is not measured by size.

It is measured by action.

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(If you know of Jewish men attending Oklahoma – or any other North American school — next year, please let AEPi know by submitting a rush recommendation. If you know of a legacy (defined as a son, grandson, or brother), make sure to let us know ASAP!