State of the
Fraternity Written by
Andy Huston (Minnesota, '01), Executive Director
The parallel then diverges with respect to
We hosted a webinar with ADL on October
It seemed like a regular start of a new
student safety. Antisemitism on campus is
12th with more than 200+ attendees about
school year until the point in which
not a new phenomenon, but it has become
the War in Israel and its Impact on College
everything changed.
much more prevalent. The ADL has reported
Campuses in partnership with Alpha
a 388% increase in antisemitic incidents.
Epsilon Phi, Sigma Delta Tau, and Zeta Beta Tau. A resource guide to prepare for the
I was living in the Kappa Chapter House during 9/11. I remember hearing the news
Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity has redoubled
International Day of Jihad and subsequent
of the day unfolding, the anxiety of not
its efforts to focus on the health, safety, and
days of campus protests or walk-outs likely
knowing what else might happen, the long
well-being of our students. Sigma Alpha
to include antisemitic incidents. We co-
lines at the gas station down the street, and
Mu is committed to ongoing efforts to
hosted the Summit Against Hate program in
the sense of mourning we felt for all who
promote Jewish life on campus, support the
a virtual format for students and volunteers
were lost in the terrorist attacks. There was
development of Jewish leaders, and combat
on November 27th and an in-person session
a latter sense of unity, rallying, and desire to
antisemitism. This programming is made
for campus professionals at the Association
help.
possible by alumni support of Sigma Alpha
of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Annual
Mu and the Sigma Alpha Mu Foundation.
Meeting on the 29th.
terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel, our
In the days following October 7th, chapter
In one case, the Eta Chapter at Syracuse
undergraduate fratres have had some
leaders and advisors were provided
University was explicitly named among
similar experiences to my own in 2001. The
communications and programming
other organizations with Jewish heritage as
Fraternity’s pro-Israel statement shared on
reinforcing our Pro-Israel Resolution (1) and
“complicit in genocide.” In many other cases,
social media platforms was mirrored by
the IHRA definition of antisemitism that was
fratres have faced protesters chanting “From
many chapters.
adopted by the Octagon.
the River, to the Sea” and other disturbing chants.
the
Octagonian
In the aftermath of the October 7th
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