As the school year draws to a close, as chapters reflect on 2016-2017 and plan for 2017-2018, the same can be said about the Fraternity’s expansion plans. We were successful in our expansion efforts this year, as we saw our Brotherhood return to three schools with more than 100 re-Founding Fathers. The success of our expansion is a testament to the success of our Fraternity overall: our programming, our recruitment, our heritage and our commitment to each other as brothers.

Our first recolonization was at the University of California, Davis. With history dating back to the 1990s, we were eager to bring back Epsilon Chi and add another chapter to our growing presence in Northern California. Whether through an involvement fair, wing night, Shabbat dinner or simply a cup of coffee, these re-founders were recruited through a variety of areas while embracing all that we are as a Fraternity. Epsilon Chi continues to grow in numbers and in pride, and is already looking ahead to the fall!

In the spring, ZBT proudly announced the successful return of Alpha Zeta at the University of Florida, home of Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity’s Executive Director Laurence A. Bolotin, M.Ed., CAE, ’01. This group of men (pictured top) came together through formal and informal recruitment efforts, legacy recommendations, sorority presentations and extensive conversations with staff. Alpha Zeta brothers immediately immersed themselves in the fraternity experience, participating in philanthropy events, hosting Get on the Ball and of course designing new shirts. These men are actively involved on campus and make it GREAT to be a ZBT!

The third successful expansion project was Eta Iota at the State University of New York, Plattsburgh. In the cold of winter in far north New York, ZBT staff cultivated fantastic relationships on campus with community engagement, Jewish studies, fraternities and sororities alike, leadership programs, etc. Braving the cold, our newest brothers came together in the spirit of brotherhood with a simple vision: raise the bar of the fraternity experience at Plattsburgh. They are certainly on their way to achieving this goal!

While we brought the ZBT experience to new institutions, we also secured future opportunities for the Fraternity. In the upcoming year, ZBT has planned returns to the University of Virginia, home of ZBT International Vice President Jonathan D. Frieden, Esq., ’92, as well as Binghamton University. While recolonizations can re-engage alumni and community partners, we are eager to bring two schools into our Brotherhood for the first time: the College of Charleston and the University of California, Irvine. These institutions represent the breadth of the ZBT experience and we anticipate much success identifying men who will create a brotherhood committed to our values.

If you know any men at these institutions, or men at other institutions who may be interested in establishing a new ZBT colony, please provide their name and contact information to Director of Organizational Growth Brian A. Hoffman, Sigma (Tulane University) ’09, at bhoffman@zbtnational.org.

Here’s to our Fraternity, may it live forever!