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Alpha Omega (fraternity)
American Jewish dental fraternity From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Alpha Omega (ΑΩ, sometimes AO), is an international professional Jewish dental fraternity. It was founded in 1907 in Baltimore, Maryland, by Jewish dental students. In 1932, it merged with Alpha Zeta Gamma, a similar organization. It is a former member of the Professional Fraternity Association.
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History
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Ramach
In 1907, a group of Jewish students at the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania created a professional organization called Ramach.[1][2]: 21 Its name referred to the 248 parts of the human body.[2]: 21 After the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery closed in June 1909, Ramach moved to Medico-Chirurgical College of Philadelphia in October 1909.[3][2]: 37
Alpha Omega
In the fall of 1908, Jewish students from three dental schools in Baltimore, Maryland established Alpha Omega, a professional dental fraternity.[1][2]: 37 Under the leadership of Max W. Belzer, the students formed the fraternity because, as Jews, they were not offered admission to other campus fraternities.[2]: 37 Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity was chartered in the State of Maryland with sixteen founding members in 1908 or 1909.[2]: 21, 37, 65
Alpha Omega's founders were Max W. Belzer, N. M. Bercovitz, Charles Cohen, S. Feldstein, Abraham Goberman, J. M. Gordon, Max Kahn, D. Levin, L. Levy, Maurice D. Liftig, M. Meyerson, Samuel M. Neistadt, David S. Robinson, William H. Rosenfeld, M. Sholkin, Jacob Solomon, and P. Steiner.[2]: 37 Belzer was the fraternity's first president.[2]: 37
After learning about Ramach, Alpha Omega initiated a correspondence with the other fraternity.[2]: 37 In 1909, Kahn and Neistadt traveled to Philadelphia to resolved any differences, so that the two groups could merge.[2]: 37 Alpha Omega and Ramach merged to form the Alpha Omega Fraternity on December 20, 1909.[1][2] Its purpose was "to promote the highest ethical standards of the dental profession, further the causes of Judaism and to promote Fraternalism".[4]
Additional chapters were established at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in 1910, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and New York University College of Dentistry in 1911, followed by the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in 1912.[5] Alpha Omega held its first convention in 1912 in New York City, with forty men in attendance.[5]
Alpha Omega established its first alumni chapter in Philadelphia in 1916. The fraternity became international in 1921 with the formation of a chapter at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto.[5]
In November 1931, Alpha Zeta Gamma, a similar organization, invited Alpha Omega to send representatives to meet with the Supreme Council of Alpha Zeta Gamma to discuss a merger.[2]: 37 With the merger viewed favorably, Alpha Omega invited representatives of Alpha Zeta Gamma to their 1931 convention in Buffalo, New York.[2]: 37 Terms of the merger were approved at the convention by Alpha Omega and one week later by the Supreme Council of Alpha Zeta Gamma.[2]: 37 At the January 18, 1932 meeting of the Chicago Dental Society, a joint banquet of Alpha Omega and Alpha Zeta Gamma showed positive sentiment on both sides.[2]: 37 On September 17, 1932, the merger contract was signed and the merger was official.[4][2]: 37 On October 7, 1932, the Alpha Zeta Gamma chapters at Chicago College of Dental Surgery (Loyola of Chicago) and Northwestern were installed as chapters of Alpha Omega.[2]: 37
In 1942, the fraternity had initiated 5,000 members and had chartered 33 collegiate chapters and 20 alumni clubs.[4]
During World War II, the fraternity donated mobile dental ambulances to the Royal Canadian Dental Corps and the United States Army. With the establishment of Israel after the war, Alpha Omega donated materials, including hospital and field equipment, as well as qualified teachers to help train Israeli personnel. The estimated value of the materials, services, and equipment sent to Europe and Israel exceeded $500,000.
In 1952, the fraternity established the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine in Jerusalem, Israel, and a chapter was established there in 1958.[5] The fraternity also founded The Tel Aviv University School of Dental Medicine in Tel Aviv, Israel.[5]
In 1962, Alpha Omega had 10,500 initiates and had chartered 44 college chapters and 53 alumni chapters.[5] The fraternity established the Alpha Omega Foundation, incorporated as a nonprofit organization in the State of New York in 1969.[6]
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Symbols
Alpha Omega's badge is diamond-shaped with the Greek letters "ΑΩ" in gold on a black enamel background.[7] There is a blue sapphire at the top of the diamond and a white sapphire at the bottom.[7] The rest of the border is outlined by ten pearls.[7] The fraternity also has a pledge pin that is a diamond with black enamel on the top half and gold enamel on the bottom half.[1][7]
The fraternity's colors are black and gold.[1][7] Its flower is the Blackeyed Susan.[7] Its publication is the Alpha Omegan.[4][1]
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Activities
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Alpha Omega established its Achievement Medal in 1936, presented to an individual or organization for outstanding contributions to dentistry or its allied sciences.[1][8] Alpha Omega has honored many giants in the field of dentistry and medicine, including Albert Einstein, Jonas Salk, Arno Benedict Luckhardt, Charles Best, William J. Gies, and Thomas Parran.[8] The fraternity also presents the Alpha Omega and Colgate Prize for an outstanding thesis.[9] It also has a tuition loan fund and presents the Alpha Omega Scholarship Award.[1]
Alpha Omega was established and has contributed more than $1.5 million to the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine in Jerusalem, Israel. In partnership with Henry Schein, the fraternity launched the Alpha Omega Henry Schein Cares Holocaust Survivors Oral Health Program in 2015. In response to the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Alpha Omega members donated $110,000 for an ambulance for Magen David Adom and established two dental clinics for displaced residents in Israel.
In 1970, the fraternity helped found the Tel Aviv University School of Dental Medicine in Tel Aviv, Israel, and continues to raise funds to support the school, including helping to raise $3 million in 2012.[5][6][10] The fraternity also has an international program for oral health and undertakes activities such as partnering with the Tel Aviv University School of Dental Medicine to provide free dental aid to African refugee children.[11]
Governance
Alpha Omega is governed by a national council, consisting of a president, secretary, treasurer, editor, historian, and trustees.[1] Its national headquarters is located in Syosset, New York. Argentina,
Chapters
Alpha Omega has chartered more than 75 collegiate chapters in the United States, Canada, Israel, Mexico, South Africa.[5][1] As of 2025, it has thirty active chapters in four countries.[12] It also has 54 alumni chapters in many countries.[12]
See also
References
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