L’dor V’ d’or is a Hebrew phrase that means from generation to generation. It highlights the responsibility of one generation to pass on the wisdom and honor the stories of their ancestors to the next generation. This process allows us to learn from the past and work towards creating a better future.
They say that all good things must come to an end, but I say, not necessarily so! As far back as I can remember, which probably takes me to the age of 3, I wanted to be a dentist. Why? Well, simply because my dad was a dentist. As I grew up, I realized that he had a pretty good life. He was his own boss. He took vacations when he wanted to. He made a very decent living. He had time for his family and for himself and was even a man who gave back to the community. He was well- respected by his community and amongst his patients. So, with his guidance, I studied to get into dental school at the University of Pittsburgh, which was also my dad’s alma mater. Basically, that’s where my life both personally and professionally began!
Thanks to a couple of Alpha Omega dental students at that time, namely Richie Maidman and David Shipper, they welcomed me to Pitt and gave me (a nice Jewish Boy from Long Island) a sense of purpose and belonging while in dental school! I joined the Omicron chapter of Alpha Omega and worked my way up to become president in my senior year! Being president of Alpha Omega at Pitt had many advantages. I would be called on by the dean’s office to give tours to prospective dental students, and I got to spend time with the Dean just chatting about “stuff.” I was invited to events hosted by other fraternities and special gatherings at the dental school. I also co-chaired the mini-ASDA Day which was like a mini dental convention that Alpha Omega organized. I got to know all 525 dental students at the school! Thanks to our advisor, Dr. Gil Robbins, we had lunch and learn programs, frequent cocktail parties and an amazing Alpha Omega graduation dinner! Well, that was it. I was an Alpha Omegan for life! My dad was also an Alpha Omegan, class of 1949 at Pitt!
After my residency at Brookdale Hospital, where my dad was an attending, coincidentally, I joined his practice. We were practicing together for over 25 years! We loved sharing ideas and new techniques with each other, and also spending lunch together, either with other local dentists and specialists in the area or just with each other, talking about life! One cannot take those moments together for granted! My dad would then take about six months off and go to Arizona with my mom. When he returned, he would see a patient or two but always make it a point to come and have lunch with me until he retired at the age of 85! My love for dentistry and Alpha Omega continued to grow and soon I would become the Regent of Regency 3 in New York! Over the years I have achieved several Fellows, including the ICD, ACD, AGD, IADFA, and the ASDA, as well as a Fellow in the Pierre Fauchard Academy! In addition to that I was on the organization committee of the GNYDM for 12 years!!
I have been married to my beautiful and talented wife Mallory (Managing Director at Bank of America) for almost 39 years, and together we have three grown children, three grandsons, and a puppy! Over the years, I have made some miraculous friends, so many through dentistry and Alpha Omega! Through the years, my wife and I devoted our time and efforts to always try to be philanthropic. Mallory has helped raise money for the Long Island MS Society, where she has served on the board for several years. She also mentors young people and friends who are searching for their path in life. We taught our children the importance of giving back. Our son, Harrison, runs marathons and participates in other sports events to raise money and inspire young students from underprivileged backgrounds through poetry and sports in his Scores program.
Dentistry has greatly enriched my life, especially through participating in the Holocaust Survivors Oral Health Program sponsored by Alpha Omega and Henry Schein. In this role, I assess and provide complimentary dental care to Holocaust survivors. Hearing their stories of strife and anxiety taught me to deeply appreciate my current life and family. Listening to their harrowing experiences highlighted the difficulties they endured seeking safety. This involvement has strengthened me personally, making my own challenges seem much less severe by comparison.
Looking forward, I would like to see the legacy of the Brenner Family continue the principles that my mom and dad tried so intently to instill amongst their three children! My brother Larry is a world-renowned hand surgeon in Florida, and my sister Robin is a highly recognized dental hygienist who has worked with some highly profiled dentists in our profession, both in California and in New York! For our family, the most important values are honesty, integrity, putting family first, and paying it forward to help others, hoping these values will inspire those around us. We want our legacy to be about being genuine and caring, passing down life’s important lessons from one generation to the next—and sharing a few good jokes along the way!
Being an Alpha Omegan, and being a Jew, we can only identify with the hardships that the Jewish people endured and are once again realizing in this “warped mentality” world that we now live in! Many years ago, the Suffolk YJCC honored my wife Mallory, and we were invited to the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame induction! It made us feel so proud of what our Jewish athletes have played such a vital part in making the field of sports so prominent in the world today! It gives us such a warm and beautiful connection to our contribution to the world not to mention our contributions to medicine, entertainment, business, finance, etc.!
Let us all reflect on who we are— not only as individuals working to make the world better, but as a united group of Jewish people. Let us remember the lessons passed down by our ancestors. We can carry on their loving legacy and keep alive the dream of all people to be united as one!
So maybe all good things don’t have to come to an end-maybe they just have to be remembered and promoted forward by what we have been taught by those who loved us!! And there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think back to those days in my office, working with my dad, and how we loved to share ideas, thoughts, and ways to improve our patients’ dental health, as well as the well-being of our families and humanity! And with all our combined efforts, this will never come to an end! I’m just so glad that at age 3, I made that decision!