By Jonathan H. Levin, Alpha Kappa (University of Wisconsin-Madison) 2002, the Fraternity’s Director of Alumni Engagement

ZBT’s heritage and Jewish roots remain strong in the Fraternity as an organization and personally to many individual brothers. The story of why Brother Matan E. Lieberman, Alpha Kappa (University of Wisconsin-Madison) 2026, chose to join Zeta Beta Tau is a great example of the resiliency and pride of today’s Jewish college student.

Brother Lieberman attended Jewish schools and camps growing up.

“The value of these environments became an integral part of who I was, and I came to cherish the people I was surrounded by and the lessons that were instilled in me,” he said. “Coming into college, I was full of many different emotions, but overall, I felt uncertainty about how I would fit into such a large school.”

The University of Wisconsin Madison campus has 38,000 undergraduates enrolled. Brother Lieberman graduated from a small high school with 38 in his class.

“The transition was a bit of a culture shock. I had always known that I wanted to join a fraternity as a way of finding my community-within-a-community and making the world of UW-Madison a little bit smaller.

“But even further than that, I wanted a Jewish fraternity, so that I could replicate those childhood circles that I had loved. I found both of those in ZBT.”

He said he’s found the Alpha Kappa Chapter to be a community of like-minded, driven people.

“I am proud to surround myself with these brothers,” he added. “Not only is the benefit of a Jewish community at UW extremely important to me, but through ZBT I have also made many lifelong friends.

“I am proud to be a ZBT, and I know that it will continue to be important to me long after I graduate.”

Matan is originally from Deerfield, Illinois; the son of Brother David E. Lieberman, Rho (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) 1997.

Matan, a junior, studied abroad last spring in Rome. He’s majoring international relations with a focus on global security, seeking certificates in Middle Eastern studies and political science. His academic success earned him acceptance into the Accelerated Master’s of International Public Affairs program at UW-Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs, starting in the fall. Over summer 2025, he is completing two internships in Washington, D.C.: as a War Studies Fellow at the Hertog Foundation; and a policy intern at the Jewish Institute for the National Security of America.

• Share this article