The Claire Friedlander Family Foundation is proud to support the Alpha Omega Foundation, an organization committed to advancing dental research, supporting education, creating access to dental care for underserved populations, and improving care throughout the world. Their history is impressive.
In 1953 a group of Alpha Omega Fraternity leaders embarked on a mission to establish a top-tier dental school in Israel. Collaborating with the Hadassah Hebrew University, Alpha Omega integrated a school of dentistry into the University’s structure in Jerusalem.
The objective was to replace retiring immigrant dentists, offering modern services to the growing population resulting from an influx of refugees. In 1964, this vision materialized, and Alpha Omega proudly became the founder of the Hadassah-Hebrew University School of Dental Medicine in Israel.
Seeking to broaden their impact, Alpha Omega members founded the Alpha Omega Foundation US in 1969, serving as the US charitable arm of the Alpha Omega International Dental Fraternity. The Foundation’s commitment to Dental Medicine’s advancement continued with its instrumental role in the establishment of the Tel Aviv University School of Dental Medicine in 1970.
In 2012, when the Tel Aviv University School of Dental Medicine teetered on the brink of closure, the Foundation, along with the American Friends of Tel Aviv University, Dean Adam Stabholz of the Hadassah/Hebrew University Dental School, Israeli government and other notable dental professionals in Israel embarked on a $3 million fundraising campaign to renovate the school’s facilities, establish specialized care for individuals with unique needs, and the cultivation of new revenue streams from both higher tuitions paid by students training to be specialists in the fields of endodontics, prosthodontics, and periodontics and the care they provide.
Today, the Alpha Omega Foundation continues to support both of these dental schools and additional dental healthcare centers in Israel and around the world.
On December 12, 2024, the Alpha Omega Foundation US will honor Dr. Allen Finkelstein at The Legacy and The Future Gala, The Angel Orensanz Foundation, 172 Norfolk Street, New York, NY. Dr. Finkelstein’s legacy of generosity, vision, and dedication to advancing dental education and oral health has profoundly impacted countless lives. Funds raised at the gala will support the creation of The Allen Finkelstein Scholarship Endowment. The Scholarship will perpetuate his vision of advancing dental education, providing access to care, and developing new oral health initiatives.
“Our founder, Claire Friedlander, was a Holocaust survivor and held a deep connection to Israel. As stewards of Claire’s legacy, it’s important to the Foundation to fund organizations like the Alpha Omega Foundation,” said Peter J. Klein, Claire Friedlander Family Foundation President. “We look forward to celebrating Dr. Finkelstein’s legacy in December and thank him for a lifetime of service to the field of dental health.”
For more information about The Legacy and The Future Gala can be found here.
