ZBT Alumni Newsletter

THE ALUMNI NEWSLETTER OF THE PHI ALPHA ALPHA CHAPTER OF THE ZETA BETA TAU FRATERNITY

2222 I St. NW | Washington | DC 20052 ♦ www.gwzbt.com ♦ Spring 2010

GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE OUR CHARTER

A Message from Former President

Andrew Klein Brothers, Friends, & Family, It has been nearly a year since our last contact and I

wanted to update you on the progress of ZBT at GW. As I

reflect back on the goals I set out for our new group when I took office one year ago, I am reminded of the incredible progress we have made, and the name we are making for ourselves. I created some lofty goals a year ago, including broadening the recognition of our new group, recruiting a substantial amount of new brothers to continue our legacy, and, of the most challenging, setting ourselves up for continued success with a charter and a

house. I am proud to report to you today that the Phi

Alpha Alpha Colony has become the Phi Alpha Alpha

Chapter, has made a significant impact on the Greek and

greater GW communities, and, for our efforts, has gained

a house in the middle of campus for this coming Fall

semester. Though we faced many challenges over the past two

years, we have reached a significant point in our growth

that will only lead to exponentially greater success in the

future. It’s great that I am able to share these successes

with the 44 other Phi Alpha Alpha brothers that have (continued on page 2)

A Message from

President Michael Siroka Brothers, Friends, and Family,

I could not be more excited to lead the newly named Phi

Alpha Alpha chapter as its next president. This past

semester, the chapter achieved

several extremely impressive goals.

The recognition of the organization

as a chapter through the granting

of our charter is a symbol of the

group’s hard work and

dedication. Only a few

days after learning of our chartering,

ZBT was awarded Greek housing

after a long and anxious wait. These

accomplishments of receiving a

charter and Greek housing have been the two largest

goals the organization has had since its colonization in

2007. It is a true testament to each and every brother’s

devotion to the success of the Phi Alpha Alpha chapter.

As the new president, I take the reigns of an organiza-

tion that has grown exponentially over the past two

years and that is becoming very recognizable on cam-

pus. Our outstanding recruitment efforts in bringing in

18 Delta class members this past fall is shown, at mini-

mum, in that this recruitment class includes four of the

new executive board members. I know that the new (continued on page 2)

[email protected] ♦

The ZBTimes PAGE 2 SPRING 2010

(cont’d from “A Message from the Outgoing President”)

dedicated themselves to this group, however, it is my

hope that with improved communication and interaction,

we can connect the new ZBT history on this campus with

its extensive past dating all the way back to 1914. It has

been some time since ZBT has been a focal point of Foggy

Bottom, but with our continued growth and with some of

your perspective, we are returning this chapter to the

prominence it once had. This is a great new moment in our fraternity’s history,

and I hope you will be able to share it with us. Cordially, Fraternally, & Sincerely, Andrew E. Klein President Emeritus, Founding Father

(cont’d from “A Message from the Incoming President”)

leadership of the fraternity has what it takes to allow the

group to grow even more, but the job will not be easy. Our

work has already begun over winter break, and our first large

task will be recruiting an equally impressive Epsilon class this

spring. Another accomplishment of our brotherhood is in that

for the second consecutive semester, both our brotherhood as a

whole and our new member class achieved the highest semes-

ter GPAs of all fraternities on campus.

It seems as if ZBT has already done so much in only less than

three years at GW. However, the job has just started. ZBT

has equally, if not more, great things to come over the next

year, and I am ready to steer the organization to achieve the

many goals we have set.

Finally, the brotherhood would be thrilled to hear from

friends, family, and alumni. We have a rich history at the

university that we plan on continuing for many years to

come. I am sure that we have extraordinary things ahead.

Cordially, Fraternally, and Sincerely,

Michael Siroka

President

Brothers volunteering to clean up Foggy Bottom - GW’s local DC neighborhood and community

Brothers Josh Brown (l) and Jacob Hamburger (r) receive a rush endorsement for the chapter from CNN’s own Dana Bash, herself reminiscent of ZBT’s parties while a student at GW. Among the approximately 50 attendees at the Politico confer-ence, founder Mike Allen recognized a group of students he called "die-hards" from our chapter, who had attended the two previous discussions as well.

A Message from our Chapter Advisor,

Lazar Berman

Dear Brother,

My name is Lazar Berman, and I serve as the Chapter Advisor for the Phi

Alpha Alpha Chapter at George Washington University. For those of you

whom I have not had the pleasure of meeting, I would like to offer a few

words of introduction. I graduated from Boston University in 2003, and

moved to Israel that summer. I was drafted into the Israel Defense Force in

2004, and served as an infantry officer in Gaza during my three and a half

years of service. I am currently pursuing an M.A. in Security Studies at

Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, and hope to begin

working toward a Ph.D. next fall. In addition to my role as Phi Alpha Alpha

advisor, I have served as ZBT’s National Ritual Chairman, and currently

head the National Heritage Committee.

It is an exciting time be involved with ZBT at George Washington. In a few

short years, the brothers at GW have revived the chapter and achieved

their charter as the newest chapter in ZBT. The brothers continue to im-

press. Last semester, Phi Alpha Alpha attained the highest GPA of any

Greek organization on campus. The brothers lead a variety of campus

groups, including the Reform Jewish organization and the Israel activism

group. The chapter is involved heavily in philanthropy for Jewish causes.

The brothers’ achievements have so impressed the university that the ad-

ministration recently committed to providing the chapter with an on-

campus townhouse, and a floor in a residence hall.

With this whirlwind of success, there is only one thing missing- alumni

brothers. Several alumni have been in touch and have attended functions

with the undergraduate brothers, but we will never be a complete chapter

until our alumni are brought back in. There are many ways to be involved:

attend a chapter meeting, come to our alumni events, participate in rituals.

Your experience and perspective would add significantly to the experience

of our young ZBT men, and we hope to meet you in person.

There has never been a better time to be a ZBT.

CF&S,

Lazar Berman, [email protected]


Brother Chosen for ZBT Supreme Council

Phi Alpha Alpha’s own Brother Josh Brown, this past se-

mester’s Recruitment Chairman, was chosen as the under-

graduate director for ZBT’s Supreme Council.

The undergraduate director position will provide Brother

Brown with the opportunity to get actively involved in major

decisions of the Fraternity. This is also a terrific opportuni-

ty for him to network with alumni from across the country.

Brothers Nathan Hennagin (third from left), Geoffrey Middleberg and Joshua Brown accept the award for “Outstanding Convention Delegates” along with Chapter advisor, Lazar Berman (far right) at the 2009 ZBT National Convention and Leadership School in Cleveland, Ohio.

Introducing our new Executive Board

Committee Chairmen

Service & Philanthropy Chairman . . . . . . .. . . .Doug Arbetter Parents and Alumni Chairman. . . . . . . . . . . . . Rory Silver Social Chairman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Evan Koslof Athletics Chairman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alex Goldstick Heritage & Ritual Chairman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Gil Rein Risk Management Chairman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jason Kaplan Fundraising Chairman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nate Hennagin

President

Michael Siroka, Gamma Class

Hometown: New York, NY

Major: Accounting

Graduation Year: 2011

NFL Team: New York Giants

Internal Vice President

Geoff Middleberg, Gamma Class

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

Major: Philosophy


NFL Team: Philadelphia Eagles

External Vice President

Dan Katz, Delta Class

Hometown: Avon, CT

Major: Political Science


NFL Team: New England Patriots

Brotherhood Development Director

Lee Feldman, Gamma Class

Hometown: Birmingham, AL

Major: History


NFL Team: Philadelphia Eagles

Treasurer

Jon Friedman, Delta Class

Hometown: New York, NY

Major: Biology


NFL Team: Dallas Cowboys

Secretary

Dan Gil, Delta Class

Hometown: Indian Shores, FL

Major: Biomedical Engineering


NFL Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Recruitment Chairman

Steve Britton, Delta Class

Hometown: Marlboro, NJ

Major: International Affairs


NFL Team: New York Giants

ZBT Gets a New Home on Campus

Our chapter received great news in early December, when,

after submitting an impressive housing application and anx-

iously waiting the next weeks for an Inter-Fraternity Coun-

cil decision, ZBT was offered a townhouse at 605 21st Street

in addition to a 16-resident floor in the International House

at 2201 Virginia Avenue.

Obtaining a house on campus has been one of our chapter’s

greatest aspirations, and is a true validation of all the hard

work our brothers have put into the fraternity, particularly

the founding fathers who dreamed of the day when their

new fledgling colony would have a house to call home.

May the start of the 2010 school year be the start of new

experiences and lifelong memories in our chapter’s home for

years to come.


Old ZBT House To See Major Area

Changes The block of the old ZBT House (also pictured on the left on

page 2) located between 20th and 21st streets and F and G

streets —also know as “Square 103” — will be undergoing

major changes as part of the university’s plans for a new $31

million law school building and garage on the Foggy Bottom

campus.

While the house itself, now owned by the GW Law School, is

not expected to see any changes, the sorority house on that

same block is due to be demolished to make way for the new

complex.

Study Hard, Party Hard For the second straight semester, the ZBT’s Phi Alpha

Alpha chapter has the highest GPA among all GW fra-

ternities. In addition, the Delta class had the highest GPA

of any incoming fraternity member class. This is the second

consecutive semester in which our chapter has achieved

both of these two impressive goals. Among all of Greek life

at GW, ZBT was ranked 3rd behind two sororities. It is a

rare feat that any fraternity be ranked this high among all

of Greek life at the university, as most sororities typically

have higher GPAs than the highest fraternity on cam-

pus. Having the best GPA on campus among all fraternities

is a special feat to achieve once, let alone twice, and repre-

sents our chapter’s commitment to “the development of the

individual as a responsible, mature member of society”.

ZBT Phi Alpha Alpha Chapter Gives Back to the Community

This academic year thus far has been an unprecedented year in terms of the philanthropy efforts that the ZBT Phi Alpha Alpha Chapter has undertaken. Whether it’s raising money to build a bomb-proof recreational facility in Israel, giving a local high school a much-needed facelift, or carrying out our signature Get on the Ball philanthropy event, the Phi Alpha Alpha chapter has made a concerted effort in giving back to the Jewish and local Washington-area community.

The Phi Alpha Alpha chapter of ZBT was recently featured in JNF’s online newsletter, documenting our participation in the Jewish National Fund’s Green Sunday phone-a-thon on Sunday, November 22 (picture on the right). The brothers called over 2,000 past JNF donors and raised $7,800 for the Sderot Indoor Recreation Center, a bomb-proof center for Children to play in. The town is dangerously located within firing range of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip. Baruch Fellner, Regional President for JNF Washington, DC Regional described the brothers of our chapter as an “inspiration, and truly our future leaders.” The brothers have since volunteered for JNF on two more occasions.

On GW’s Martin Luther King Day of Service, the brothers were represented heavily

among the more than 550 members of the GW community who teamed up to improve the

Theodore Roosevelt High School in Northwest D.C. — and logged approximately 1,500

service hours — in honor of the national Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Janu-

ary 18. The brothers painted hallways, cleaned stairwells and beautified the outside of

the school as part of an effort to rehabilitate the school and enhance student learning.

Brothers Andrew Klein and Geoff Middleburg (picture on the left) were featured in GW’s

weekly newsletter, GW Today, documenting this phenomenal and worthwhile event.

Get on the Ball is a fundraiser where members of the ZBT Fraternity roll a 72” colorful ball

around campus and the nearby area seeking signatures from students, faculty, and anyone

willing to sign their name. Local businesses sponsor this effort by pledging a specific

amount for each signature. For example, if a business pledges $.10 for each signature and

the Fraternity gets 1000 people to sign the ball, the business donates $100.00. The money

goes towards the Children’s Miracle Network, a network of local children's hospitals. As the

men of ZBT roll the ball around campus, we raise money and awareness for the foundation

as well as support local businesses. We simply want to help others and create awareness

for the needs that surround us in our community upholding our tradition and committing

ourselves to the values of Charity, Service, and Brotherly Love. This semester’s Get on the

Ball will be held in April, and as always, will showcase our commitment to philanthropy to

the Greek and GW community as a whole.

This Semester in Sports In a semester full of highs for ZBT this semester, athletics were no different. The first win

in the history of the Phi Alpha Alpha chapter was recorded on November 2. With the Delta

Class also came an even bigger athletics achievement in ZBT's first intramural playoff

berth in the form of 3 on 3 basketball. Led by freshman Neil "Swiss Chocolate" Bhargava,

ZBT finished the season as the league's sixth seed before bowing out of the playoffs in the

quarterfinals. Next semester aims to be a promising one in athletics as well as the brothers

will get ready to suit up for indoor hockey, 5 on 5 basketball, and softball among others.


Decades of Zeta Beta Tau at the George Washington University: the 1980s

Gregory Marshall Chait, ’82

“Alpha Chapter reopened after a long hiatus in 1978. A group of fellows led by Joe Doyle, Mitch Bauman, Rob Goldstein, David Byer, Ken Boxer, Jim Seligman, Jeff Nash, and Dave Matsil leased the townhouse from the University for the princely sum of $1100 per month and spent the summer hauling garbage out of it and pain...ting it. Apparently it had first served as a hippie cash pad and then was abandoned before Alpha Chapter reopened. The first pledge class was comprised solely of Barry Kalinsky. I was among the second pledge class, all of whom were friends from the second floor of Thurston Hall during the prior year. Our pledge class was comprised of Michael Trencher, Craig Bacon, Jay Leonard, and perhaps one or two others. The fraternity was so small at that point that we took in boarders.”

“Sgt.” Stuart “Sammy” Kohn ’86

Infantry

"[Verse 1] They pick you up in choppers and they take you down to fight, and you know you'll be fighting all night [Chorus] Infantry, the mighty infantry, we fight in the trenches we're the first line defenses, infantry, the mighty infantry [Verse 2] You're walking through the ...jungle, you're ready for a fight, you know that you have to do or die [Chorus] [Verse 3] Got one more day of combat, you think you've got it made, then the man next to you yells, "Grenade!"

Gregory Marshall Chait, ’82 “I remember the house was a peeling white and rust. I also remem-bered the bargain basement colors you guys painted the inside - you went to the paint store and bought all of their remnants, and it showed. Powder blue walls with shocking blue trim. Oy. Mike Trencher had the house sandblasted during the summer of 1979?) summer for a few hundred dollars by a group of illegal al-iens. Completely illegal job - no permits, no landlord permission, no tents, no nothing - they just loaded up the blaster and let er rip. G Street was littered with sand for years after that. They also didn't repoint the bricks which was a structural issue, so Trencher conned the University into doing it in the fall… You may recall the founders receiving the first inspector from the national office who dared venture to the house. National had not been of any financial assistance when the founders were reestab-lishing the fraternity and there was a high level of animosity to-wards the notion of being inspected by folks who had been most unhelpful when needed. We had a party that Friday night, to which the inspector wore a snazzy three piece suit comprised solely of man made fibers. The sheen off of that garment was impressive. A few of the founders insured the national inspector too rapidly pounded a repugnantly excessive amount of adult beverage. They then took him outside to sober up, and dumped in a snow drift miles away. We never saw anyone from national again.“

Michael Berson, ’86

"Jack Lepper has done a lot for each of us sitting in this room, and

he'll be the first to admit it."————————-

Craig “Speedy” Stein (l) with Bo Rothman (R)

Partial Class of

‘86 Pyramid

We Remember… Brother Craig “Speedy” Stein, „80

Brother Mitch Bauman Friend of the Fraternity, Jim Waters

After a fierce game of

paintball

Name Year Class Major(s) Where we're from

Abrams, Josh 2010 Founder International Affairs Dallas, Texas

Arbetter, Doug 2013 Delta International Affairs Worcester, Massachusetts

Bhargava, Neil 2013 Delta Undeclared Basil, Switzerland

Bianchi, Ben 2013 Epsilon Undeclared Dresher, Pennsylvania

Bianchi, Phil 2010 Founder Political Science Dresher, Pennsylvania

Bojedla, Kiran 2010 Founder History + Biology Buffalo, New York

Braslavsky, Tom 2012 Gamma International Affairs Overland Park, Kansas

Britton, Steve 2013 Delta International Affairs Marlboro, New Jersey

Brown, Josh 2012 Beta Political Science Chicago, Illinois

Burkert, Matt 2013 Delta Civil Engineering Ohio

Curtiss-Lusher, Joey 2010 Founder Marketing Denver, Colorado

Feiger, Dan 2013 Delta Undeclared Wilmette, Illinois

Feldman, Lee 2012 Gamma History Birmingham, Alabama

Friedman, Aaron 2011 Beta Criminal Justice Englewood, New Jersey

Friedman, Jon 2013 Delta Biology New York, New York

Gil, Dan 2013 Delta Biomedical Engineering St. Petersburg, Florida

Gitomer, Matt 2013 Delta Biology Collingswood, New Jersey

Goldfine, Ryan 2010 Founder Biology Sandy Springs, Georgia

Goldstick, Alex 2010 Founder Marketing + Sports Management White Plains, New York

Hamburger, Jacob 2010 Founder Political Science Brentwood, Tennessee

Hennagin, Nate 2010 Founder Political Science Yorba Linda, California

Honor, Evan 2013 Delta Poltical Science Boca Raton, Florida

Iloulian, Jeremy 2013 Delta Int. Affairs + Envirnmntal Studies Highland Park, Illinois

Kaplan, Jason 2012 Delta Undeclared New City, New York

Kattan, Dan 2013 Delta Computer Engineering San Jose, California

Katz, Dan 2012 Delta Political Science Avon, Connecticut

Klein, Andrew 2010 Founder Economics Westport, Connecticut

Klein, Joshua 2013 Delta International Affairs Davie, Florida

Koslof, Evan 2013 Delta Political Science + History Brookline, Massachusetts

Levy, Jeff 2013 Epsilon Computer Science Norwood, New Jersey

Mark, Justin 2013 Epsilon Undeclared Broomall, Pennsylvania

Middleberg, Geoff 2012 Gamma Philosophy Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Nacheman, Izack 2013 Delta Fine Arts, Psychology Basking Ridge, New Jersey

Porter, Nathaniel 2013 Delta Criminal Justice Northbrook, Illinois

Reif, Jake 2010 Founder Political Science Roswell, Georgia

Rein, Gil 2010 Founder Political Science Marlboro, New Jersey

Rosen, Alex 2011 Alpha Int'l Affairs + Int'l Economics New Jersey

Silver, Rory 2012 Gamma Int. Affairs + Mid-East Studies Queens, New York

Siroka, Mike 2011 Gamma Accounting New York, New York

Yamet, Alex 2010 Alpha Political Science Croton-on-Hudson, New York

Zhitnik, Roman 2013 Epsilon Philosophy, History Brooklyn, New York

Zinman, Eli 2013 Delta Political Science + Economics Santa Cruz, California

The 2009-2010 Brothers of the Phi Alpha Alpha Chapter of the Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity


On behalf of the brothers of the Phi Alpha Alpha Chapter, we hope that this news-letter finds you and your family well. Feel free to provide us with feedback on what you would like to see in the next issue of the newsletter, and how we can improve upon it.

If you would like to see yourself or your chapter/brothers documented in our newsletter, please don’t hesitate to send us an email or mail us a

letter at the addresses mentioned on the first page. Our goal is to reconnect alumni and establish new bonds between our brothers and alumni from years past. If you like what you see, please let us know.

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