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Letters From ZBT’s Leaders

Issue: Fall 2017

Brothers, welcome to the Digital Deltan brotherhood magazine. Please read on for more from the Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity and Zeta Beta Tau Foundation leadership. 

 

From the International President

ZBT Stands for Family

As I type this, my home and my hometown faces an existential threat from Hurricane Irma.  As my wife and I went through the laborious task of preparing our home, I received texts, emails and calls from many of our brothers from around the United States.  All were reaching out to tell me they were praying for our safety and to let me know that they were thinking about us.

As one gets older, you gradually realize that what is most important are not the belongings we gather through life.  Those can be lost in a few moments by way of hurricane, earthquake, fire and flood.  What is most important are our families, the friends we meet (and keep) along the way and what we stand for.

Whether you are a new brother or a “vintage” brother like me, we are all brothers of Zeta Beta Tau.  Our Fraternity has a great history and we continue to grow that history every day.  Before our recent International Convention in Indianapolis, we hosted a Summit Against Hate along with our interfraternal partners  Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Phi Sorority and Sigma Delta Tau Sorority.

The summit was well-attended by university and community leaders, as well as many from the Greek community.  It is sad that there is a need for such programming, but the need is real and palpable.  After the recent events in Charlottesville, our Fraternity reached out to the University of Virginia community to offer our services and our programming. We did so because it is the right thing to do.  We did so because man-made existential threats must not go unchallenged.

Funding for this programming is largely due to the generosity of Alfred (Al) K. Berg, Omicron (Syracuse University) 1973.   While you may not be able to make a $275,000 donation to the Zeta Beta Tau Foundation, as an undergraduate brother you can make a contribution of $18.98 or more to join the Gottheil Society.  (Vintage brothers can do so as well!)

This year the Fraternity will present the Barry M. Aarons Award for Undergraduate Giving to the chapter or chapters who have the highest percentage of brothers in the Gottheil Society.  It is my hope that I get to expand my circle of friends and I get to hand out an Aarons Award to every chapter and colony.  Together, we can make a difference.

 

Cordially, Fraternally & Sincerely,

 

 

 

Norman M. Waas, Esq., Alpha Omega (University of Miami) 1982
International President, Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity

 

From the Fraternity Executive Director

Improving Our World

As I type this, I am reflecting on the current climate in communities and college campuses when it comes to a violent hate culture. I can’t help but feel grateful knowing that ZBT isn’t sitting idle watching these horrific protests turning into physical violence. Rather, we are rallying together and hosting programs that bring together students and community members to talk about the path forward … a path free of hate.

ZBT has made it a top priority to do our part to educate our brothers on how to confront anti-Semitism, sexual violence, unhealthy behaviors and the many other issues plaguing our campuses today.  It’s not easy being 19 years old, let alone 38 as I am, and seeing some of what’s going on in our country.  Now, more than ever before, we need our brothers to come together and display the characteristics we committed to at the night of our initiation that all men are brothers and that we will confront our brothers when they are in error.  Confrontation doesn’t have to be violent or nasty.  In fact, confronting each other is how we learn and grow as individuals.

Fraternity is a learning laboratory for life, and sometimes life is just hard.  As the Executive Director of ZBT, it’s my hope that the skills our brothers are learning, both as undergraduates and alumni, are skills they can take with them and find value in wherever they go.  That’s why we’ve committed as part of the current strategic plan that all of our leadership programs are paired with learning outcomes that are transferrable in the workplace, at home, with friends and loved ones and in the communities in which we seek to serve.

This is also why we have invested as much time and energy as we have in forming valuable partnerships.  Any organization who thinks it can solve any of the issues impacting our campuses, communities and brothers alone is living a life of arrogance.  ZBT believes that to go far we must go together.  We’ve been fortunate to find incredible partnerships with the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Women International, the Zeta Beta Tau Foundation, Chabad on Campus, Hillel, Gift of Life, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and so many more.  They add value to the ZBT experience and we’re fortunate to have them as our programming partners.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it every opportunity I get — the best chapters are those with the most engaged positive role models working with them.  Just look at our most recent Brummer Cup winners and you’ll see a cadre of alumni who help guide the way, inspire our brothers with their actions and, ultimately, get out of the way and let these young brothers learn and lead.  In my opinion, this is the best way to give back to ensure a long future for our Fraternity.  If you’re interested in getting involved with a chapter or colony, please contact me at lbolotin@zbtnational.org.

As we enter the fall and quickly (too quickly) approach Thanksgiving, I want to send a special thank you to those who have raised their hands and said they’d like to get involved.  You know who you are, and you are making an incredible impact.  Thank you.

 

Cordially, Fraternally & Sincerely,

 

 

Laurence A. Bolotin, M.Ed., CAE, Alpha Zeta (University of Florida) 2001
Executive Director, Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity

 

From the Foundation President

Giving Back to Our Fraternity

The last three years as President of the Zeta Beta Tau Foundation have flown by! I feel we have set new standards in accomplishing our goals of enhancing the benefits of being a brother of ZBT. This is for both our undergraduate and alumni brothers.

We have reached out to more people than ever before, and have provided more services than ever before. This is evident in the fact we continually have more donors and receive more donations each and every year.

We are always being told by our donors that joining ZBT as an undergraduate was the highlight of their college years, and enhanced their college experience. In addition, the close bonds and friends that were made have become not just college friends, but lifetime friends. Through our many activities for alumni, that same experience is being shared with ZBTs from all over. This is the reason they give back. Some of my closest friends have become the ZBTs I met in the Atlanta Area Alumni Association, and those that I have served with on the Zeta Beta Tau Foundation Board of Directors. This shows that ZBT is truly a Brotherhood for a Lifetime!

The Zeta Beta Tau Foundation Board is dedicated to funding the great programs sponsored by the Fraternity. These include:

  • International Leadership School
  • James E. Greer, Jr. Presidents’ Leadership Academy
  • Emerging Leaders Institute
  • Israel Advocacy Summit
  • Chapter Heritage Programming Grants
  • Combating Campus Anti-Semitism Program

In addition, we are currently working on increasing our available scholarships, as well as developing a viable legacy gifting program that will insure that the ZBT and Zeta Beta Tau Foundation missions will be carried on for generations to come.

In closing, there are three groups I want to acknowledge and thank:

  • Our Executive Director, Faron A. Lewitt, Psi (University of Alabama) 1997, and his staff, Jesse P. Kopp, Delta Eta (Lynn University) 2011, and Nancy Morgan. They are dedicated and knowledgeable and will keep us on course to achieve our goals.
  • The current Zeta Beta Tau Foundation Board, Governance Committee and Past Presidents. They are a dedicated group of volunteers whose commitment and vast talents inspire me.
  • Our many donors who make the great work of the Fraternity and Foundation possible.

I am happy to talk to anyone on a one-to-one basis about gifting, sponsorships and legacy opportunities.

Thank you for allowing me the honor of serving and giving back to our wonderful Fraternity — Zeta Beta Tau.

Cordially, Fraternally & Sincerely,

 

 

 

Bruce H. Weinstein, Psi (University of Alabama) ’70
Zeta Beta Tau Foundation President

 

From the Foundation Executive Director

I Couldn’t Have Said It Better Myself

The most meaningful part of the work I do with the Zeta Beta Tau Foundation is the impact we make together with our undergraduate brothers, alumni brothers, parents and friends of ZBT. Seeing it, hearing about it and reading about it motivate me and continue to provide me with intangible benefits as part of my Brotherhood for a Lifetime experience.

The Fraternity experience in general and the academic scholarships, educational leadership programming and heritage programming in particular, all help to enhance the Zeta Beta Tau experience and impact the lives of our brothers and the communities in which they live.

Our undergraduate brothers say it best …

  • Michael B. Glatstein, Eta (University of Michigan) 2020, is the recipient of the J. Ira & Nicky Harris Scholarship! — “I cannot imagine a better Fraternity experience and I know I have Zeta Beta Tau alumni to thank for making it possible.”
  • Jeffrey S. Greenburg, Beta Zeta Epsilon (University of Maryland – College Park) 2018, is the recipient of the Byron K. Schader Scholarship! — “I’ve received more from Zeta Beta Tau than I ever could have imagined and I hope to one day give back.”
  • Brandon P. Warfield, Alpha Delta (University of Southern California) 2018, is the recipient of the David I. & Elaine Freed Annual Renewal Scholarship! — “Thank you for paving the road for men of excellence and setting an example that has encouraged us to keep you proud and preserve the upstanding nature of Zeta Beta Tau.”
  • Matthew G. Meyer, Iota (University of Denver) 2019, is the recipient of the Jack London Memorial Scholarship! — “Thank you to our alumni for creating a sustainable, positive and meaningful environment that allows our brothers to grow as leaders and people.”
  • Matthew J. Scalia, Nu (The Ohio State University) 2018, is the recipient of the Jacob Burns Scholarship! — “My most rewarding Zeta Beta Tau memory is when I was elected to be president of my Chapter and I realized that my brothers thought I would be the best representation of Zeta Beta Tau to our university and the public.”
  • Jackson R. Spear, Iota (University of Denver) 2020, is the recipient of the Phi Sigma Delta – William Weinberg Foundation Scholarship! — “The Zeta Beta Tau Foundation scholarship means the world to me as it can guarantee my continued involvement in my Chapter, that I can devote more time to being a better brother, as well as time to focus on my academics more intensely.”
  • Neil H. Gallagher, Gamma Chi (University of South Florida) 2019, is the recipient of the Richard S. & Harry S. Graham Memorial Scholarship! — “My most rewarding Zeta Beta Tau memory is organizing the Toys for Tots fundraiser. Not only did we do extremely well in the amount of money and toys we collected, but I learned so much!”
  • Parker J. Knight, Psi (University of Alabama) 2019, is the recipient of the Psi Chapter Trustee Scholarship! — “My most rewarding Zeta Beta Tau memory is the work we have done outside of our Chapter, contributing to our surrounding community and helping tackle issues that our bigger than ourselves and our organization.”

Thank you to those who support the work of the Zeta Beta Tau Foundation and enable us to continue to provide academic scholarships, educational leadership programming and heritage programming for our brothers. These programs make an impact.

Cordially, Fraternally & Sincerely,

 

 

 

Faron A. Lewitt, Psi (University of Alabama) 1997
Zeta Beta Tau Foundation Executive Director