Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 6.djvu/78

Gordon, Leon - Goring Ox and he was permitted to return to St. Petersburg, though he lost his position. He then became co-editor with Zederbaum of "Ha-Meliz," and he occupied that post, with an interruption of two years, till 1888, when he resigned. The Russian government conferred on him the title of "Honorary Citi- zen" in return for the services he had rendered through his propagation of science among the Jews. Gordon was the leading Hebrew poet of his time. His chief merit consisted in the fact that he turned his attention to Jewish history, presenting in liis poems a complete account of the Jews from the Biblical epoch till his own day. He was also an unrivaled prose-writer; his language was fluent and his style very biting and satirical. Gordon employed his satirical talent not only in scourging Jewish fanat- ics, but also in defending the Jews against their enemies. His works are: "Ahabat Dawidu-Milial," a Biblical epopee in twelve poems with an introduc- tion (VVilna, 1856); "Mishle Yehudah," a collection of 100 fables in verse, many of which are adaptations from ancient fabulists {ib. 1860); "'Olam ke-Min- hago," in two parts, the first being a description of Russian Jewish life (Odessa, 1870), and the second a satirical description of the Hasidim (Wilna, 1873); "Gam Eleh Mishle Yehudah," 21 fables in verse (Vienna, 1871); "Kozo shel Yud,"a satire inverse on morals(iA. 1876) ; " 'Ofel bat-Zij^yon," an elegy in four parts on the death of Michael Joseph Lebensolm {ib. 1877); "Kol Shire Yehudah," hiscollected poet- ical works in 4 vols. (St. Petersburg, 1883-84) ; "Kol Kitbe Yehudah," a collection of his novels (Odessa, 1889). He translated the Pentateuch into Russian in collaboration with .1. Gerstein. Gordon contrib- uted to almost all the Hebrew periodicals, to many Russian papers, to the "Allgemeine Zeitung des Judcnthums" (1860-64), and to Brockhaus' "Kou- versations-Lexikon." His letters were published by J. Weissberg ( Warsaw, 1894).

BIBLIORRAPHT : Sokolov, in Ha^AKif, vl., part 1, pp. 155 et seg.; J. Slutzki, iQ Luah Ahlasaf, 189.i, cols. 258-285; L. Kantor, In Voshlind. 1881, Nos.'U, 12; S. DubnoT, in Vnskhnd. 1884; Brainln, in Ha^SItiloah, i. 63, 244, 332, 421 ; Luah AMasaf, 1898, pp. 81-91. H. R. D. G.— M. Sbl.

GORDON, MICHEL: Judæo-German poet and Hebrew writer; born at Wilna Nov. 4, 1823; died at Kiev Dec. 36, 1890. While at the bet ha-midrash he wrote his first poetry and prose. Gordon was a personal friend of Michael Lebensohn, Wolf Kaplan, and Hirsch Katzenellenbogen. He married a sis- ter of the poet Leon Gordon, and exerted considera- ble influencif upon the latter. In 1846 his first poem appeared in "Kol Bokim," a collection published by Kalman Schulraann upon the death of Mordecai Aaron Günzburg (Wilna, 1846). After the Crimean war Gordon removed to Poltava, and from there to Kremeutchug, where he found employment in the office of Joseph Gilnzburg. In 1868 he was en- gaged as teacher by BrodsUi at Shpola, and until 1881 he remained in the employment of the Brodski family at Smyela. In 1869 Gordon published a history of Russia in Yiddish. About that time an anonymous collection of his poems was issued. In 1831 he published at St. Petersburg, under the title of "Tif'eret Banim," a dissertation in Hebrew on the moral obligations and responsibilities of Jewish youth. In 1886 his " Sheber Ga'on " appeared. Gordon was a contributor to " Ha-Shahar," " Ha-Boker Or,"and "Ha-Karmel."

His reputation, however, is based mainly upon his poetry, which appealed strongly to the popular imagination. Many of his songs, set to music, are known throughout Russia. To quote' Leo Wiener, the author of "The History of Yiddish Literature"; "Gordon's poems are of a militant order: he is not satisfied with indicating the right road to culture, he also sounds the battle-cry of advance. The key-note is struck in his famous 'Arise, My People ! "... In this poem he preaches to his race that they should assimilate themselves in manners and culture to the ruling people; that they should abandon their old-fashioned garments and distinguishing characteristics of long beard and forelock" (pp. 83-84). In pursuance of his purpose of arousing his people to the necessity of adapting themselves to modern conditions, he assails the Hasidim, bewailing their fanaticism and ridiculing their Asiatic manners and customs, their ignorance and superstition. His ridicule is sharp and cutting.

For a time Gordon dared not disclose his identity, and published his songs anonymously. A collection of these with his name appended was first published at Warsaw in 1889 under the title of "Yiddishe Lieder, " comprising " Die Bord, " " Der Borsht, " " Die Mashke," "Mein Vida," "Die Bildung," "Steh Oif, Mein Folk," and many others. Their language and style are plain, popular, and idiomatic, occa- sionally bordering on the profane, as in the con- cluding stanza of " JVIein Vida," or in the ninth and twelfth stanzas of " Ikh Ken Nit Ferstein."

BiBLiORRiPHT : B. Volodierski, A Kurze Bingraphie fun MMicl Gnrdon, in Hausfreind, ii. 147-148, iil. 315; Leo Wiener, The History nf YiddiKh Literature in the If ine- teenth Centum, pp. 82-8.5, New York, 1899; M. D. Gordon, Mehakker Tiferet Banim, in Voskhod, 1881, No. 4, pp. 43-44. H. K.' ■ M. Z.

GORDON, SAMUEL : English novelist; born at Buk, Germany, Sept. 10, 1871. He went to England with his parents in 1883, and was educated at the City of London School and Cambridge University. He was appointed secretary of the Great Synagogue, London, in 1894. He has published several novels and volumes of short stories, almost all dealing with Jewish life and character, among them " A Handful of Exotics" (1897); "Daughters of Shem" (1898); "Lesser Destinies" (1899); "Sons of the Covenant" (1900) ; and " Strangers at the Gate " (Jewish Publi- cation Society of America, 1903). "In Years of Tra- dition" (1897) and "The New Galatea" (1901) have been his chief attempts outside Jewish lines.

Bibliography: Jeims/j Fear Boofc, 1903, p. 293; Whn'sWho, 19U3, s.v.

J.

GORGIAS : Syrian general of the second cen- tury B.C. After Judas Maccabeus had defeated the Syrians, they determined to send a stronger force against him. According to I Mace. iii. 38, which Josephus follows ("Ant." xii. 7, § 8), it was the governor Lysias who commissioned the generals Nicanor and (jorgias, sending them with a large army to Judea ; but according to II Mace, viii, 8, it was Ptolemy, governor of Cojle-Syria and Phenicia, who sent them. Nicanor seems to have been the