When Ben Abelson (SHHS '04) left Shaker Heights to attend Amherst College in Massachusetts, moving back home wasn't specifically in his long-term plans. But life had a way of bringing him back: he attended medical school at the Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, got married and started a family. "Once I was back in Cleveland, I couldn't imagine living anywhere else," says Dr. Abelson, a fourth-year urology resident at The Cleveland Clinic.
Today, Dr. Abelson and his wife, Jennifer, live in the Mercer neighborhood. And their daughter, five-year-old Gabriela, just started kindergarten at Mercer Elementary School last month, becoming the fourth generation family member to attend Shaker Heights Schools. Dr. Abelson's mother, Abby (Goulder) Abelson graduated from Shaker in 1970 and his paternal grandmother, Ruth Klausner Abelson, graduated in 1944.
Dr. Abelson—who played trumpet in the band, performed in musical theater and participated in both Student Group on Race Relations (SGORR) and Model UN—says the biggest difference about the District since he left 13 years ago, is the high school stadium’s updated turf field and track. But he noted that some things, like the SGORR logo and the tight roadside parking on Aldersyde Road, remain the same (though Dr. Abelson was lucky enough to have an aunt who lived near the high school, so he always had parking in her driveway).
For his daughter Gabi, Dr. Abelson takes comfort in knowing that she’ll be a part of a “dedicated community” and one that makes everyone feel welcome. “I’ve tried to put into words what I value about Shaker,” Dr. Abelson says. “The racial and economic diversity is something Shaker wears on its sleeve, but there’s also a rich social and cultural background that makes it a special place.”