The Aleph Zadik Aleph Pledge Program
Written By the 30th Regional Aleph Moreh Benjamin Scott Klein
(The Pre-part to this program will be us in the gym, having everyone sitting down. Then we will snap and become pledge masters, having our pledges do for us what we want. We will be in character the whole time making them do sit-ups, push ups and other tasks they won’t be able to accomplish. As people mess up, they will be pulled over to the bench. This will continue to happen until there are few alephs left, where I will ask them if they want to be in this fraternity, just one last question, what is your religion? When they say Jewish they are sent to the bench and everyone is brought back to the center and told to sit down. I will then yell and say something talking down to Jews and how there aren’t any Jews allowed in Alpha Zeta Alpha, then the lights will either dim or shut off and this part of the program will start.)
Aleph Shliach: 84 years ago, in the year 1924, a group of 15Jewish teens made the decision to pledge for there school fraternity Alpha Zeta Alpha.
Aleph SIA: Alpha Zeta Alpha was the predominate Fraternity in the school and had a reputation of being an experience in which you could be “one with your brother.”
Aleph Sgan: The fraternity denied the teens the opportunity to join, for no substantial reason, besides the fact that they were Jewish. In a state of rebellion, the Jewish teens would start there own fraternity with Hebrew letters, mocking the Greek fraternity by taking the initials AZA and making them our own.
Aleph QBA: At first, the letters had no meaning, but two years later when adopted by the Bnai Brith Organization the letters stood for the Jewish Letters “Aleph Zadik Aleph”, which stood for Ahava Tzedakah Ahdoot, Fraternal Love, Benevolence and Harmony.
Aleph Godol: These people did something incredible. They were suppressed from doing something because of a bias, and instead rose up against it and made a difference. Now I ask you my brothers. Would you have stood up for your religion? Would you have done the same?
(Pause) (Goes out alone)
Aleph BMA: This hasn’t been such a great year so far. Today was the second time I got jumped after school. All day they call me names like cheap, Jew and kike. To make it worse, during fourth period, I found out my grandmother died, and I had to walk home right away. On my way home, the kids followed me and told me it was good she died, because Jews don’t deserve to live. Then they beat me up, stole my money and ripped my Chai off my neck. Then they ran away laughing saying things like “Ha-ha Rick is such a dumb Jew”. My guidance counselor won’t even do anything about it, because every time I tell her, she turns the other cheek. (Flustered) Probably because I’m Jewish. Being Jewish has caused me all of this. I HATE BEING A JEW. Sometimes, I just wish I had someone, or something to look out for me, to support me. Whatever you are, wherever you are, I’m begging you. Please. Find me.
(Pause)
Aleph Gizbor: Discrimination exists everywhere you go. Everywhere you are you’ll see some signs of it. Whether it’s in writings, what someone says or motions they make. Anti Semitism is far from being abolished.
Aleph Shliach: The Alephs who started the first AZA chapter, wanted to spread the message all throughout the world. Even though they didn’t accomplish this goal in a week, or a month, or even a year, a decade after they had started Mother Chapter #1, AZA was represented in over 10 different states.
Aleph SIA: This growth was accomplished from a passion to expand and share something with other people that had changed there lives.
Aleph QBA: This brotherhood that was formed by people wanting to find a place they could call home, was spreading like wildfire. This organization, Is bigger than just me or you.
Aleph Sgan: This organization… is not just that. It’s not just an organization. It’s a place you can come to when you find yourself lost. When you need a friend to go to, or hang out with on a Friday or Saturday night. Look around you, aren’t these people in this room with you now, the same people that you’re usually with on a weekend? AZA has given so much to me, and people like me around the world. I hope all of you would be proud to say you would have stood up for your religion. That you would have stood up for there beliefs and done what those 15 men did in OmahaNebraska. Imagine your lives without BBYO. Because you know what? What if they hadn’t taken that initiative? What if they never started AZA? What if there was no BBYO…
(pause) (goes out alone)
Aleph Mazkir: If it wasn’t for AZA, I don’t know what I would do. In my country, it is hard to keep your faith alive. Everywhere you go it is normal to see anAnti-Semitic symbol in the streets and on the floors. Swastikas are as common to me as seeing someone smoking a cigarette for you. The Nazi party is an active political party. Jews are often captured and tortured because they stand up for there beliefs. You know how the KKK would capture African Americans and beat them, sometimes kill them? It happens where I live. To Jewish people. It happens to people like me. I’m not odd am I? I’m not disfigured? I’m not an abomination of any sort? I’m just a normal teenage Jew. I’m sort of……like you.
(Pause, and let everything sink in)
Aleph Godol: You have heard two testimonies just now. The first was of Rick. Rick’s situation took place during 1923, the year before AZA was created. He lived in OmahaNebraska. The second Testimony was of a member of BBYO today, in Bulgaria. Don’t you see what was going on here? How much of an impact AZA has had on the second readers life? Without it, I believe that he would have lost his Jewish Identity. My brothers, before this we had you do a mock simulation of pledging for Alpha Zeta Alpha. But now, I want all of you to actually pledge to Aleph Zadik Aleph.
Aleph Moreh: We are passing around Pledge sheets. We don’t want you to sign them unless you are committing yourselves to keeping alive a fraternity that has inspired, changed and motivated so many individuals into making a difference in the world. Changing a life. Think about how one individual action can change the world. If those 15 people hadn’t tried to prove a point, and stood up for there religion, we wouldn’t be here right now. So take a minute to fill out the sheet, and answer the questions. Sign your name at the bottom if you are ready for that kind of a commitment. A commitment to truly pledge and be a part of a real fraternity.
(Give them 5-10 minutes to fill it out)
(Have 5 people maximum share what they wrote)
(Pause, after they are done. Look for my queue and go to the front to start second part of monologue)
Aleph BMA: Isn’t it funny how perspective can change? Nearly 2 years ago I was on the brink of losing all faith in my religion, and my culture, because people ridiculed me for it. How ridiculous was I being? I was lost, and then the Aleph Zadik Aleph found me. I think the moment that changed my life, was when 5 fellow alephs saw me being beaten up, ran over threw the kids off of me, stole back my Chai, and warned the Alpha Zeta Alpha Kids to never touch me again. It showed me a feeling of brotherhood I have never before seen. Ever since that moment I have never been afraid to tell someone I was Jewish. I have never been embarrassed when someone called me a Jew. And you know why? (With Emphasis) BECAUSE I AM A JEW. AND I’M DAMN PROUD OF IT. Thank you my brothers, thank you to whomever that person was who took that step to start AZA, you have changed my life. And for that, I owe you everything.
(Pause)
Aleph Moreh: I can only hope after seeing and hearing how an individual’s action’s can really change the world, that you don’t just go home and forget what you have heard today. Look down at the sheets in front of you. Look at what you wrote; remember what your brother spoke of. I don’t care if you’re a 8th grader with 4 full years left, or a senior with 3 months left. You can change the world. You can make a difference in someone’s life. You could do something, trying to prove a point. And end up making as big of an impact as the Alephs of Mother Chapter # 1. Stay true to who you are. To your religion, to your culture, to your lifestyle and don’t forget why you have those morals in the first place. Be an inspiration. Be an individual. Be a Jew. Now my brothers, in memory of the alephs who started this movement, all of there accomplishments and at least the impact they have had on my life. I want you to tell me…WHAT TIME IS IT?!?
(Just up you men)…Lead into fourth teaching spirit part of the program.