Jun 26, 2008 -- Yeshiva University (YU) alumnus, Ari Gordon ’05YC, of Merion, PA has been selected to receive a prestigious Wexner Graduate Fellowship this year. The fellowship program is open to aspiring Jewish leaders pursuing careers in Jewish education, the rabbinate, cantorate, and Jewish professional leadership. The Wexner Foundation introduced the program in 1988 to encourage the development of promising leaders in the North American Jewish community through graduate training, professional mentoring and specialized programming. Of the 20 exceptional candidates chosen for the prestigious Wexner Fellowship, four are YU graduates. Aside from Mr. Gordon, they include Erin Cooper ’08SCW, Noah Cheses ’08YC, and Zev Nagel ’05YC - each of whom will receive an annual stipend of $20,000. “The four Yeshiva University graduates selected are exceptional people who have exhibited great talent and maturity,” said Or Mars, director of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship Program. “They have articulated a deep love of the Jewish people and have cogent visions for how they will effect change in the Jewish world. They are going to be a valuable asset to the program.” Mr. Gordon currently serves as the assistant director of the Department of Interreligious Affairs for the American Jewish Committee. He hopes to create forums for interreligious engagement, bringing together Jews from across the denominational spectrum together to confront issues facing the Jewish people. This fall, Mr. Gordon will begin graduate studies in religion and interreligious relations at Harvard Divinity School. “I feel a profound hakarat hatov [gratitude] to Yeshiva University, where my commitment to serving the Jewish community was fostered and where I prepared for this next exciting step of my journey,” said Mr. Gordon. “The strong knowledge of Jewish tradition and engagement with the modern world I gained at YU has allowed me to feel confident and comfortable representing the Jewish people in the field of interreligious affairs.” Founded in 1886, Yeshiva University brings together the heritage of Western civilization and the ancient traditions of Jewish law and life. More than 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students study at YU's four New York City campuses: the Wilf Campus, Israel Henry Beren Campus, Brookdale Center, and Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus. YU’s three undergraduate schools –– Yeshiva College, Stern College for Women, and Sy Syms School of Business ––– offer a unique dual program comprised of Jewish studies and liberal arts, science, math and business courses. Its graduate and affiliate schools include Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, and Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. YU is ranked among the nation’s leading academic research institutions. ### Visit the YU Website at www.yu.edu