Last night, Wednesday, March 7, some 300 Jewish students at the University of Texas in Austin gathered for the reading of the megila and the Purim celebration. The evening’s party, MaskaRave, featured food, drink and music as well as laser lighting and a photo booth.

This year, a unique addition was the participation of all of the campus’ Jewish fraternities and sororities.

According to Rabbi Zev Johnson, Chabad’s emissary to the campus and a UT alumnus himself, Greek Life plays a central role in the campus culture.

“In the past, we’ve worked together with individual Jewish organizations on campus,” Johnson says, “but this is the first time we’ve had them all come together for an event.”

Johnson sees the the official participation of the fraternities, ZBT, AEPI, and AEPHI as well the Sammy Jewish Legal Society, as particularly fitting for the holiday.  “Purim recalls the unity of the Jewish people in the face of adversity,” Johnson says. “The unity we’re experiencing here surely testifies to the bright Jewish future ahead.”