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Aleph
Zadik Aleph(AZA)
In 1922, there was a group of 14 Jewish teens
who wanted to join their school's fraternity; the Alpha Zeta Alpha. The fraternity would not let them join because they were
Jewish. They decided that they would protest the Greek system and start a Jewish fraternity using Hebrew letters. From this
point on they would be the Aleph Zadik Aleph. At first, the letter had no meaning. the first group would be known as Mother
Chapter AZA #1. Abe Beber was elected as the Aleph Zadik Aleph's first president and Nathan Mnookin would be the fraternity's
first advisor. A few months after the fraternity was started, Mnookin moved to Kansas City, where he started another
chapter of this fraternity. The men asked Sam Beber to be their next advisor. Beber had many dreams for the fraternity. He
saw the fraternity spreading throughout the U.S. His idea was to have an unmistakably Jewish fraternity. Sam Beber is now
regarded as the founder of the Aleph Zadik Aleph. On May 3, 1924, at a meeting at Harry Lapidus's house, the Aleph Zadik Aleph
was declared an International order. At the same meeting, the Supreme Advisory Council was started as the policy-making body
of the fraternity. During July 4-6, 1924, the first National Convention of the Aleph Zadik Aleph was held at the JCC
in Omaha, Nebraska. At this time, there were four chapters: Mother Chapter #1 in Omaha, Nebraska, AZA #2 in Kansas City, Kansas,
AZA #3 in Lincoln, Nebraska, and AZA #4 in Des Moines, Iowa. Two-thirds of the membership came for a weekend of brotherhood
and friendship. There was a deadlock for the Grand Aleph Gadol race between Charles Shane and William Horowitz. Eventually,
the decision was turned over to the Supreme Advisory Council and, on the fact Shane was 20 and Horowitz only 17, Shane became
the first grand Aleph Godol and Horowitz the first Grand Aleph S'gan. At the 1925 B'nai B'rith International Convention,
Henry Monsky presented a petition to get the Aleph Zadik Aleph adopted by B'nai B'rith. Of course, the petition was adopted,
and the Aleph Zadik Aleph was now the junior order of B'nai B'rith. When the Aleph Zadik Aleph was adopted by B'nai
B'rith, it took the motto B'nai B'rith into their name. The first Aleph came to stand for Ahavah-Brotherly Love, the Zadik
came to mean Tzedakah-Benevolence, and the second Aleph came to mean Achdoos-Harmony.
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