Jun 26, 2008 -- Yeshiva University (YU) graduate, Erin Cooper ’08SCW, of Silver Spring, MD 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 Ms. Cooper, they include Ari Gordon ’05YC, 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.” Ms. Cooper, who graduated from Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women in May, aspires to provide Jewish education in communities that are lacking such institutions. She currently works for NCSY, serving as both the associate director of summer programs for the International Office and staff coordinator for Atlantic Seaboard NCSY. This fall, Ms. Cooper will attend YU’s Azrieli Graduate School for Jewish Education and Administration, as well as Touro University’s Graduate School for Business. “Yeshiva University has opened countless doors for me within the Jewish community and has provided me with the social network and professional mentors to help develop and actualize my goals,” said Ms. Cooper. 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