SEATTLE (RNS) No one batted an eye as the two Muslim students in headscarves approached the table promoting the as-yet-unnamed “Jewish Sorority” outside the University of Washington’s student union.

One of the women, Naima Idris, took a half-melted piece of chocolate from the table and asked what made the all-Jewish sorority different from more mainstream houses. Female members of UW’s Muslim Student Association were intrigued, she said, with the idea of starting their own sorority.

“We’re pretty much like regular sorority girls,” sophomore Jodi Schwartz explained as Idris and her friend nodded thoughtfully, “but some of us don’t drink and we want to keep a kosher kitchen.”

The growth of fraternities and sororities for minority faith groups, both at UW and across the country, has surprised alumni and scholars who had predicted that such houses — rooted in an era of systematic segregation — would be obsolete by now.

Why the sudden growth? Possible explanations range from the cyclical nature of student activities to the reported increase in spirituality (but not worship attendance) during college years, as documented by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute.

General interest in Greek life may also apply: the National Panhellenic Conference, a sorority umbrella group, counted 4.1 million members and 2,986 chapters in 2009, up front 3.5 million members and 2,903 chapters in 2002. The North-American Interfraternity Conference does not track overall membership, but traditional Jewish fraternities report increases; UW’s two traditionally Jewish frat houses are less than 10 years old.

Regardless of the reason, the resurgence has gratified Marianne Sanua, who worried that her 2003 book, “Going Greek: Jewish College Fraternities in the United States,” might be an obituary of sorts as anti-discrimination policies and campus diversity lifted barriers to mainstream Greek life.

“You’re no longer legally allowed to restrict anyone, but now they’ve found other ways to do it, by advertising through Jewish organizations and making religion part of their rituals,” said Sanua, a professor of American Jewish history at Florida Atlantic University .

A traditionally Jewish house could display a mezuzah on its door and keep a kosher kitchen, she noted; a Muslim house may provide a space for daily prayers, ban pork and alcohol, and limit coed activities.

Faith-related fraternities and sororities also appeal to young adults who, living away from home for the first time, want to form bonds in residential houses as opposed to houses of worship.

“People, especially Jews and other minorities, like to associate with friends who share their background,” Sanua explained. “You no longer have all-Jewish country clubs, and the majority of young Jews would count themselves as secular, so you have the rejection of the synagogue in many cases. This is another way that young Jewish people can meet each other.”

The Jewish women at the University of Washington hope to become affiliated with Alpha Epsilon Phi, reviving the sorority that disbanded here about 20 years ago due to declining membership. The national organization, which celebrated its centennial last year, recently rechartered AEPhi chapters at the University of Connecticut and San Diego State University, and reports that 15 percent of its houses are less than five years old. Its male counterpart, Alpha Epsilon Pi, has had membership double since 2000, including a rechartered house in Seattle.

“We are being approached by more groups about bringing a Jewish house to their campus than in the past,” said Bonnie Wunsch, AEPhi’s executive director, who can’t quite explain why interest has surged.

“My gut feeling is that people are looking to have that connection that makes them comfortable. … We’re helping to fill a niche.”

The Muslim women at UW want to form a chapter of Xi Delta Pi, a Muslim sorority started last year at George Washington University. Another option is the Muslim-themed Gamma Gamma Chi sorority, a 5-year-old organization with branches in Atlanta, Chicago and Philadelphia.

While the Jewish sorority founders say they aren’t particularly devout — most do not attend services regularly or keep strictly kosher diets — they may plan events to complement holiday observances offered by the local Hillel and Chabad student groups.

In contrast, religion is the main focus for the Muslim women, bringing together the otherwise random mix of African-American, Arab, Persian and Southeast Asian students.

About three dozen women have expressed interest in forming a Muslim-themed sorority in Seattle, said Atia Musazay, 19, whose family emigrated from Afghanistan when she was a baby.

“I really liked the idea of joining a sorority, but knew that the activities traditional sororities engaged in would clash with my beliefs,” she explained.

Along with strengthening their faith ties, the bonds of sisterhood also help minority women in their struggles against gender discrimination and stereotypes within their communities, both on campus and beyond, she added.

“We’re working on establishing a response toward the bigoted and negative images of Muslim and Middle Eastern women,” Musazay said. “This sorority seeks to reverse this, as well as provide a venue for empowerment, sisterhood, and outreach into the larger community — qualities that sororities already encourage, but with an emphasis on Islamic values.”

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Supporters say they could continue to try to diversify the mainstream houses, but by pooling students who might not otherwise join the Greek system, the Jewish — and now Muslim — houses ultimately make the Greek system more diverse, not less, says Jacklyn Liberman, a University of Washington sophomore.

“This is about creating our own community,” she said, adding that she had considered joining one of the 16 other sororities on campus, but decided she would feel uncomfortable as one of the few Jewish girls in a house. “We just want to live together in a house of our own.”