On Saturday night, August 10, Mr. Hoenlein addressed a capacity audience of 1,400 attending the Fraternity’s Centennial Convention and Gala. Eight hundred alumni members and guests and over 600 students were in attendance at the Waldorf to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Fraternity’s founding at New York University in 1913. Mr. Hoenlein’s stirring remarks about Jewish identity and support for Israel were repeatedly interrupted by applause.
Earlier in the week, on August 7, Mr. Hoenlein addressed 200 students who were participating in two separate AEPi programs: “Hineni”, a two-day seminar on Jewish identity, and “Israel Amplified”, a two-day Israel advocacy training course for campus leaders.
Mr. Hoenlein said, “I was extremely impressed by the young people I met, in terms of both their quality and their commitment.” He added,
“I go away from this remarkable convention reassured about our future on campus and convinced that I saw those who are likely to lead our community well into the 21st century. The outstanding programs run by AEPi, including Hineni, Israel Amplified, and the Civic Engagement Program, will prepare these students to address the critical challenges ahead. I was impressed as well by the commitment of AEPi’s alumni, even decades after their college years.”
Other community leaders who were honored last week by initiation into the brotherhood of AEPi were Ambassador Ido Aharoni, Consul General of Israel in New York; international relations expert Professor Jonathan Edelman of the University of Denver; author Joel Mowbray; and IDF veteran Izzy Ezagui, the first combat amputee in IDF history to return to combat duty.