Originally published in the Jewish Herald-Voice

Whoever said, “You can never go home again?” Certainly, not Doc T or Dawg or Sparky or Hollywood.

Over the Nov. 4-7 weekend, 35 brothers of the 1980 Zeta Beta Tau pledge class at The University of Texas came together in Austin to celebrate their 40th-year reunion (one year late, thanks to COVID).

ZBT is the oldest and largest Jewish fraternity on the UT campus. In fact, ZBT-Texas is the No. 1 Jewish fraternity in the country and continues to be an outstanding organization where young like-minded, predominantly Jewish students from all over the country come together to enjoy brotherhood and forge friendships that last a lifetime.

The weekend together in Austin was proof that the magic of ZBT is still working.

“Forty-one years ago, we were all apprehensive young men leaving our respective homes for the first time in our lives,” said John I. Levy, 1984, of Dallas, the group’s pledge class president in 1980. “During our freshman year, we formed a bond that lasted not only through our next three years at the University, but for over four decades.”

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Levy noted how the Jewish backgrounds they shared, the Bar Mitzvahs, the confirmations, the High Holy Days celebrations, helped them find commonalities early on that contributed to the lifelong friendships that followed.

Now approaching their 60s, members of the ZBT pledge class of 1980 picked up right where they left off some 40 years ago.