The Journey
CHALLENGING A CULTURE OF HAZING
NON PLEDGING
Through good times and bad, ZBT has been in the forefront of pioneering new concepts — as evidenced by its very founding as the world’s first Jewish fraternity, its subsequent elimination of sectarian membership practices in 1954, its acceptance of mergers from other fraternal groups in the late 1960s and early 1970s and its elimination of pledging, and its ability to solve enormous problems when others abandoned the effort. Since the practice of pledging and all second-class status practices were abolished in ZBT in 1989, all men are initiated as full equals with full rights and respect within 72 hours of being invited to join the fraternity. Our leadership believes pledging is indicative of a culture of hazing that we do not support.
NON HAZING
Pledging is an inequitable system, that usually leads to hazing. Based upon organized mistreatment of people by treating them as subhuman. Pledging gives brothers absolute power over pledges; that power is frequently abused by one or more sadists in a chapter. As a counter all brothers take part in a brotherhood enrichment program that includes education and relationship building called THE JOURNEY.
JOURNEY PROCESS
The Journey is the brotherhood development program for all ZBT brothers, undergraduate and alumni. It is an evolving program and includes education for newly initiated brothers, brothers by class, all chapter/colony brothers, chapter/colony leaders, advisors and alumni. The Journey program eliminates absolute power by eliminating the “second-class citizen” status created by pledging, and replacing it with quality standards, memorable events, education and a good time for all brothers.