Meet four Jewish American members of the CWRU community

Jewish American students, staff and faculty contribute to many aspects of life at Case Western Reserve University—leading student organizations, building inclusive spaces and sharing cultural traditions.

In recognition of Jewish American Heritage Month, observed each May, The Daily is highlighting the experiences of four Jewish American members of the CWRU community. 

Read on to get to know them.

Gabriel Cooper

Gabriel Cooper
Gabriel Cooper

Advisor and assistant dean, Undergraduate Advising Support

For Gabriel Cooper, learning was never just academic—it was cultural, spiritual and deeply personal. He spent nine years attending Jewish day school in Swampscott, Massachusetts, and regularly went to synagogue with his parents. That early immersion in Jewish life helped define his values—and set the tone for a lifelong connection to education.

“From a young age, learning about Judaism and learning about everything else in the world were connected for me,” he said.

Raised in a community that prized intellectual curiosity and tradition, Cooper admired his teachers and eventually his college professors. Without realizing it at the time, he was already imagining a path that would mirror theirs. Years later, during graduate school, it clicked.

“When I started teaching in earnest during graduate school, I began to see myself as a teacher, and that’s really how I still view myself and my work,” he said.

Today, Cooper serves as an assistant dean and advisor in the Office of Undergraduate Advising Support at CWRU, working with about 300 students as they move from orientation to graduation. Whether helping them set academic goals, reflect on values, or navigate challenges, his approach is still shaped by his early education—and a belief that teaching can take many forms.

Before coming to Case Western Reserve, Cooper taught German language and literature at the college level. He became especially interested in German Jewish writers—figures such as Heinrich Heine, Else Lasker-Schüler, Franz Kafka and Max Czollek—whose works explored identity, exile, and belonging in ways that felt timely and timeless.

Although he has no family roots in Germany or Austria—“everyone asks,” he noted—his interest in the subject has always been grounded in the intersection of culture and interpretation.

Maya Friedlander

Maya Friedlander
Maya Friedlander

Rising second-year, history and public health 

For Maya Friedlander, choosing a college meant more than finding the right academic fit—it meant finding a community that felt like home.

“I knew when looking for a college I would need to be in a place that had a vibrant, close-knit Jewish community,” she said.

She found that at Case Western Reserve University—and she also found the perfect place to explore her academic passions. A first-year student on the pre-law track, Friedlander is double majoring in history and public health, two fields she sees as deeply connected.

“Together, history and public health are my two passions—the learning of stories and the desire to give back and help people,” she said.

After growing up in Denver—attending Jewish day school, going to synagogue weekly, and forming lifelong friendships through BBYO (the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, a Jewish teen leadership and service movement)—Friedlander arrived on campus with a strong sense of self. She quickly found belonging through Cleveland Hillel, where she serves on the student board.

“In this role, I’ve had the opportunity to create or help lead programs and meet new people,” she said. “Without the support system of the Jewish community that I had in my first year at CWRU, I think my freshman year would have looked vastly different.”

This experience led her to apply for the Emerson Fellowship through StandWithUs, a program supporting student leaders in Jewish advocacy.

“Being able to be a part of this fellowship is not anything that I would have considered just a year ago,” she said. “The staff and students at Cleveland Hillel are incredible, always [pushing] me to try new things outside of my comfort zone.”

Elizabeth Miller 

Elizabeth Miller
Elizabeth Miller

Class of 2025, international studies and English (pre-law)

Each Friday evening, Elizabeth Miller marks the start of Shabbat—sometimes by joining friends at Cleveland Hillel or Chabad, other times by hosting dinner and board games in her dorm. However it takes shape, the ritual centers her in tradition, community and rest.

Miller’s Jewish identity is layered. She’s half Ashkenazi Jewish, half Russian. Her mother is from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; her father’s family traces back to the Pale of Settlement, where her great-grandparents immigrated from in the late 1800s. Raised in Manhattan, she grew up in a home shaped by both cultures—an upbringing that now informs how she studies, leads and connects.

This month, Miller graduated as a member of the Class of 2025 with degrees in international studies and English, along with minors in Russian and political science.

“Together, these fields reflect my interest in other countries’ cultures and political systems,” she said.

Her heritage—and the perspective it gives her—has also shaped how she’s connected with others at CWRU. Through Cleveland Hillel, Miller served on the Undergraduate Leadership Council, helping organize events such as a Soviet cartoon watch party and a Women in STEM gathering. She also introduced friends to Russian desserts and helped plan programs for students with shared Soviet heritage.

Her involvement with Hillel opened the door to one of her most formative experiences: participating in NYU’s Collegiate Leadership Internship Program (CLIP), a competitive summer program for Jewish college students. With Hillel’s support, she was placed at the Jewish Association Serving the Aging in New York. There, she shadowed social workers, interpreted between Russian and English for older adults, and built a marketing campaign for a newly launched benefits clinic.

Jordyn Kelly

Jordyn Kelly
Jordyn Kelly

Class of 2025, biology (pre-med)

When Jordyn Kelly arrived at Case Western Reserve, she knew she needed to find a Jewish community that felt like home. Growing up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey—a place with a large Jewish population—her heritage had always given her a strong sense of identity.

“Being involved in the Jewish community here has provided a sense of home and continuity throughout my college experience,” she said.

This month, Kelly graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology with honors, and minors in psychology and chemistry. From the start, her path was clear: she came to CWRU intending to attend medical school, and biology was the natural fit.

Outside of her studies, Kelly founded the Hillel Volunteer Collaborative, a student group focused on promoting Jewish culture through community service. Over the years, she also worked at the Cleveland Hillel Foundation—first as a work-study student, later as an engagement intern—helping new students adjust to campus life and connecting peers with volunteer opportunities.

She’s brought Jewish culture into the heart of student life—hosting four Hanukkah parties with friends during her time on campus, from small common room gatherings to full house celebrations filled with music and dancing.

One of her favorite traditions is Purim, a holiday she describes as “kind of equivalent to a Jewish Halloween.” Through her club, she helped launch an annual campus-wide Purim carnival, blending celebration, cultural education and fundraising for charity.