This is a list of historically Jewish fraternities and sororities in the United States and Canada. [1] [2] These organizations exemplify (or exemplified) a range of "Jewishness"; some are historically Jewish in origin but later became strictly secular. Some remain more celebratory of their Jewish roots from a historic perspective only, and some actively promote Jewish culture and religious traditions within their current program. [3]
The terms "fraternity" and "sorority" are used somewhat interchangeably, with men's and co-ed groups always using "fraternity", and women's groups using either "fraternity" or "sorority". For convenience, the term "Greek letter society" is a generic substitute. The word "Greek" in this case refers to the use of Greek letters for each society's name, and not to Greek ethnicity.
The following list include the larger groups. There were many Jewish local chapters formed at universities around the United States, most of which eventually became a chapter of these larger entities. Bold indicates active groups. Italic indicates dormant groups, or those which merged into another, larger society.
Name | Symbols | Chartered/Range | Founding location | Affiliation | Scope | Active chapters | Status | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alpha Epsilon Pi | ΑΕΠ | November 7, 1913 | New York University | FFC | International | 146 | Active | [1] |
Alpha Eta Phi | ΑΗΦ | February 22, 1922–19xx ? | 0 | Inactive | [4] | |||
Alpha Mu Sigma | ΑΜΣ | March 1914–1963 | Cooper Union | Independent | National | 0 | Inactive, Merged | [4] |
Beta Sigma Rho | ΒΣΡ | October 12, 1910–1920 | Cornell University | NIC | National | 0 | Merged | [5] [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2] |
Hai Resh | November 8, 1908–19xx ? | 0 | Merged | [4] [lower-alpha 3] | ||||
Kappa Nu | ΚΝ | November 12, 1911–1961 | University of Rochester | NIC | National | 0 | Merged | [lower-alpha 4] |
Mu Alpha Delta | ΜΑΔ | 1923–19xx ? | City University of New York | National | 0 | Inactive | [6] | |
Mu Sigma | ΜΣ | 1906–19xx ? | 0 | Inactive | [4] | |||
Omicron Alpha Tau | ΟΑΤ | May 1912–1934 | Cornell University | NIC | National | 0 | Merged | [lower-alpha 5] |
Phi Alpha | ΦΑ | October 14, 1914–1959 | George Washington University | NIC | National | 0 | Merged | [lower-alpha 6] |
Phi Beta Delta | ΦΒΔ | 1912–1941 | Columbia University | NIC | National | 0 | Merged | [lower-alpha 7] |
Phi Delta Mu | ΦΔΜ | 1920–c. 1935–1940 | City University of New York | National | 0 | Inactive | [7] [4] [8] [lower-alpha 8] | |
Phi Delta Pi | ΦΔΠ | 1899–c. 1955 | New York City, New York | National | 0 | Merged | [6] [9] [lower-alpha 9] | |
Phi Epsilon Pi | ΦΕΠ | November 13, 1904–1970 | New York City, New York | NIC | International | 0 | Merged | [lower-alpha 10] |
Phi Lambda Delta | ΦΛΔ | 1920–19xx ? | Columbia University | Regional | 0 | Inactive | [6] [lower-alpha 11] | |
Phi Sigma Delta | ΦΣΔ | November 10, 1909–1970 | Columbia University | NIC | National | 0 | Merged | [lower-alpha 12] |
Pi Lambda Phi | ΠΛΦ | March 21, 1895 | Yale University | NIC | International | 44 | Active | [1] [lower-alpha 13] |
Pi Tau Pi | ΠΤΠ | November 9, 1909–19xx ? | National | 0 | Inactive | [4] | ||
Sigma Alpha Mu | ΣΑΜ | November 26, 1909 | City College of New York | NIC | International | 50 | Active | [1] [lower-alpha 14] |
Sigma Lambda Pi | ΣΛΠ | 1915–1932 | New York University | Independent | National | 0 | Merged | [4] [lower-alpha 15] |
Sigma Omega Psi | ΣΩΨ | 1914–1940 | College of the City of New York | National | 0 | Merged | [1] : VIII-22 [lower-alpha 16] | |
Sigma Tau Epsilon | ΣΤΕ | 1923–19xx ? | National | 0 | Inactive | [4] | ||
Sigma Tau Phi | ΣΤΦ | 1918–1947 | University of Pennsylvania | National | 0 | Merged | [lower-alpha 17] [lower-alpha 18] | |
Tau Delta Mu | ΤΔΜ | 1920–19xx ? | City University of New York | National | 0 | Inactive | [6] [lower-alpha 19] | |
Tau Delta Phi | ΤΔΦ | June 10, 1910 | New York City, New York | NIC | National | 5 | Active | [1] [lower-alpha 20] |
Tau Epsilon Phi | ΤΕΦ | October 10, 1910 | Columbia University | NIC | International | 25 | Active | |
Tau Sigma Omicron | ΤΣΟ | 1917–19xx ? | National | 0 | Merged | [6] [lower-alpha 21] | ||
Zeta Beta Tau | ΖΒΤ | December 29, 1898 | Jewish Theological Seminary | NIC | International | 82 | Active | [lower-alpha 22] |
Name | Symbols | Chartered/Range | Founding institution | Location | Affiliation | Scope | Active chapters | Status | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alpha Epsilon Phi | ΑΕΦ | October 24, 1909 | Barnard College | New York, New York | NPC | National | 50 | Active | [1] |
Delta Phi Epsilon | ΔΦΕ | March 17, 1917 | New York University Law School | New York, New York | NPC | International | 110 | Active | [lower-alpha 1] |
Delta Pi | ΔΠ | November 2, 1989 | York University | York, Canada | Independent | Regional | 4 | Active | [10] |
Iota Alpha Pi | ΙΑΠ | March 3, 1903–July 1971 | New York City Normal College (now Hunter College) | New York, New York | NPC | International | 0 | Inactive | [4] |
Pi Alpha Tau | ΠΑΤ | May 1917–c. 1950 | Hunter College | New York, New York | Independent | National | 0 | Inactive | |
Phi Sigma Sigma | ΦΣΣ | November 26, 1913 | Hunter College | New York, New York | NPC | National | 115 | Active | [lower-alpha 1] |
Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi | ΣΑΕΠ | October 1, 1998 | University of California, Davis | Davis, California | Independent | National | 12 | Active | |
Sigma Delta Tau | ΣΔΤ | March 25, 1917 | Cornell University | Ithaca, New York | NPC | National | 64 | Active | [1] |
Zeta Beta Omega | ΖΒΩ | December 3, 2018 | University of Toronto, St. George Campus | Toronto, Canada | Independent | Local | 1 | Active | [11] |
Information on the continuing activity of some of these societies may be missing. Active groups are listed in bold. Inactive groups are listed in italic.
Name | Symbols | Chartered/Range | Founding Location | Focus | Affiliation | Scope | Active chapters | Status | Notes | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alelph Yodh He | איה | 1907–1921 | Chicago College of Medicine and Surgery | Medical | National | 0 | Merged | [lower-alpha 2] | ||
Alpha Omega | ΑΩ | December 20, 1907 | Baltimore, Maryland | Dental | Independent | International | 125 | Active | [1] | |
Alpha Zeta Gamma | ΑΖΓ | 1910–September 17, 1932 | Chicago College of Dental Surgery | Dental | Independent | National | 0 | Merged | [12] [lower-alpha 3] | |
Alpha Zeta Omega | ΑΖΩ | December 19, 1919 | Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science | Pharmacy | Independent | National | 42 | Active | coed | [lower-alpha 4] |
Iota Theta | ΙΘ | 1918–19xx ? | Law | 0 | Inactive | |||||
Kappa Epsilon Phi | ΚΕΦ | 1930–19xx ? | Alfred University | Engineering | National | 0 | Inactive | [lower-alpha 5] | ||
Lambda Alpha Phi | ΛΑΦ | 1919–19xx ? | Law | 0 | Inactive | [4] | ||||
Lambda Gamma Phi | ΛΓΦ | October 21, 1921–19xx ? | Law | 0 | Inactive | |||||
Lambda Epsilon Xi | ΛΕΞ | 1936 or earlier–19xx ? | Law | 0 | Inactive | [13] | ||||
Lambda Omicron Gamma | ΛΟΓ | 1924 | Osteopaths | Active | ||||||
Mu Beta Chi | ΜΒΧ | 1933–19xx ? | Business | 0 | Inactive | [14] | ||||
Mu Sigma Pi | ΜΣΠ | January 18, 1932–19xx ? | Optometrists | 0 | Inactive | |||||
Nu Beta Epsilon | ΝΒΕ | 1919 | Columbus, Ohio | Law | National | 15 | Active | coed | ||
Phi Delta Epsilon | ΦΔΕ | 1903 | Cornell University Medical College | Medical | PFA | International | 182 | Active | coed | [4] |
Phi Lambda Kappa | ΦΛΚ | 1907 | University of Pennsylvania | Medical | International | 41 | Active | coed | ||
Phi Sigma Mu | ΦΣΜ | 1932–19xx ? | Omaha University Night Law School | Law | Local | 0 | Inactive | [15] [lower-alpha 6] | ||
Rho Pi Phi | ΡΠΦ | January 3, 1919 | Massachusetts College of Pharmacy | Pharmacy | PFA | National | Active | coed | ||
Sigma Epsilon Delta | ΣΕΔ | 1901–19xx ? | University of Pennsylvania | Dental | Local | 0 | Inactive | [lower-alpha 7] | ||
Sigma Iota Zeta | ΣΙΖ | 1933–19xx ? | Veterinarians | 0 | Inactive | |||||
Tau Epsilon Rho Law Society | ΤΕΡ | 1921 | Western Reserve University School | Law | National | Active | [16] [lower-alpha 8] |
Information on the continuing activity of some of these societies may be missing. Known active groups are listed in bold; dormant groups are listed in italics.
Name | Symbols | Chartered/Range | Founding location | Type | Scope | Active Chapters | Status | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aleph Zadik Aleph | אצא | 1924 | Omaha, Nebraska | Fraternity | International | Active | ||
BBG (BBYO) | 1944 | Sorority | International | Active | ||||
Iota Phi | ΙΦ | Sorority | National | 0 | Inactive | [17] | ||
Phi Beta | ΦΒ | 1920–19xx ? | Faternity | National | 0 | Inactive | [4] [lower-alpha 1] | |
Phi Sigma Beta | ΦΣΒ | June 22, 1910 | Fraternity | 0 | Inactive | [18] [lower-alpha 2] | ||
Phi Sigma Sigma | ΦΣΣ | |||||||
Pi Upsilon Phi | ΠΥΦ | Fraternity | National | 0 | Inactive | [19] | ||
Sigma Alpha Rho | ΣΑΡ | November 18, 1917 | West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Fraternity | International | Active | ||
Sigma Theta Pi | ΣΘΠ | 1909 | Sorority | National | 0 | Inactive | [20] [21] [22] [lower-alpha 3] | |
Upsilon Lambda Phi | ΥΛΦ | April 5, 1916 | 0 | Inactive |
The Professional Fraternity Association (PFA) is an American association of national, collegiate, professional fraternities and sororities that was formed in 1978. Since PFA groups are discipline-specific, members join while pursuing graduate degrees as well as undergraduate degrees. PFA groups seek to develop their members professionally in addition to the social development commonly associated with Panhellenic fraternities. Membership requirements of the PFA are broad enough to include groups that do not recruit new members from a single professional discipline. The PFA has welcomed service and honor fraternities as members; however, Greek letter honor societies more commonly belong to the Association of College Honor Societies.
The expansion of Greek letter organizations into Canada was an important stage of the North American fraternity movement, beginning in 1879 with the establishment of a chapter of Zeta Psi at the University of Toronto. In 1883, the same fraternity established a chapter at McGill University. Other early foundations were Kappa Alpha Society at Toronto in 1892 and at McGill in 1899, and Alpha Delta Phi at Toronto in 1893 and at McGill in 1897. The first sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, was established in Toronto in 1887. In 1902, the first international chapter of Phi Delta Theta was established at McGill University as the Quebec Alpha.
The Phi Epsilon Pi (ΦΕΠ) fraternity, active between 1904 and 1970 with a predominantly Jewish membership, was founded in New York City and eventually opened at least 48 chapters on college campuses across the United States and one in Canada. After several mergers it consolidated into Zeta Beta Tau in 1970.
Alpha Kappa Pi (ΑΚΠ) was a collegiate social fraternity founded in 1921 at the Newark College of Engineering. In 1946 it merged with Alpha Sigma Phi.
Theta Sigma Upsilon (ΘΣΥ) was a sorority founded on March 25, 1921 at Emporia State University. It merged with Alpha Gamma Delta at the 22nd international convention of Alpha Gamma Delta at French Lick, Indiana on June 29, 1959.
Kappa Nu (ΚΝ) was an American college fraternity that was active from 1911 to 1961 when it merged with Phi Epsilon Pi.
Kappa Beta Pi (ΚΒΠ) is a Legal Association which was formerly a professional law sorority in the United States.
Sigma Delta Kappa (ΣΔΚ) is a Professional Fraternity in the field of Law. It was founded in 1914 at the University of Michigan Law School.
Sigma Lambda Pi (ΣΛΠ) was an officially non-sectarian and historically Jewish fraternity founded in 1915 at New York University. It stopped operations in 1932 as chapters either closed, became locals or merged with Phi Epsilon Pi.