FEATURE JT 26 February 2015 43 Montagu Road 125th Anniversary Rav Eliezer (Leizer) Gordon ztl This year marks the 125th anniversary of the consecration of Edmonton Federation Cemetery. Many illustrious figures from the Jewish community of yesteryear are buried there. To mark this significant anniversary, the Jewish Tribune is looking back at the lives of some of them. N 1910, the size of the Jewish but the accident was not discovered for instituted a new approach to community in the United Kingdom quite some time. Frantically retracing his learning, based on logic and Iwas estimated at 245,000 people. route, the baby was eventually found by understanding of Gemoro and It is therefore astounding to consider his father lying unharmed on the edge focusing mainly on Rishonim that on 14th February of that year, some of the forest, with a wolf standing over rather than Acharonim. 50,000 members of the kehilla turned him and guarding him from harm. The mussar regime was not out for the levaya of Rav Eliezer Gordon As a child, Eliezer continued to show without controversy, however. Some ztl, who was niftar the previous day (4 outstanding promise as a Torah scholar, of the talmidim felt it was too strict and Adar I 5670) and buried in Edmonton learning first in the Zaretz Yeshiva made their opposition felt. But as the Federation Cemetery. in Vilna and later transferring to the haskalah movement began to take root Rav Gordon’s journey from the yeshiva of Rebbi Yisroel Salanter in at the turn of the century, the mussar Lithuanian village of Chernian where he Kovno. It was he who saw the makings approach was entrenched even further was born in 1841, to the cold and grey of a Rosh Yeshiva in him, and nurtured and ultimately its opponents were environs of London is a fascinating one, that potential by appointing him overcome. This evening -Thursday 7th Adar, and one that certainly bears retelling on Maggid Shiur. Rav Eliezer went on to Over the years, Rav Gordon’s th the eve of his 105th yohrzeit (which falls marry Sarah Miriam, the daughter of dedication to the Telshe yeshiva became the Federation will mark the 125 this Sunday). the Rav of Kovno, R’Avrohom Yitzchok legendary – at one point, he even used anniversary of Edmonton Cemetery From infancy, it was clear that Eliezer Neviazhsky, who supported them for funds intended for his own daughter’s at the annual 7 Adar seudah of its was no ordinary child. His father, many years. Despite Rav Eliezer being wedding to ensure his talmidim were chevra kadisha. Special guest for R’Avrohom Shmuel Gordon may have offered numerous prestigious positions provided with their basic needs. It is not been a simple tradesman, a brandy as Rav in nearby towns, Rav Neviaszhsky surprising therefore that when tragedy the evening is renowned author maker, but he was also a student of Rav refused to allow him to take up the struck Telshe in 1908 and a fire broke and speaker Rav Avrohom Chaim Chaim of Volozhin ztl, who held him in roles. According to a descendant of Rav out burning down both the yeshiva Feuer, who has flown in from Eretz high esteem and referred to him openly Gordon, when asked how long he would buildings and many of the buildings Yisroel especially for the occasion. as ‘an outstanding talmid chochom’. At continue to support the couple for, Rav in the town, Rav Gordon insisted on the time when his baby son was born, Neviaszhsky explained his insistence travelling abroad to raise money, despite Rav Feuer’s wife Rebbetzin Luba, there was no mohel in Chernian and with the words: “I do not know if he is his own precarious health. who will accompany him to the new-born was taken by sleigh to living from us or we living from him.” Arriving in London with his wife in London, is a daughter of the famed the nearby village of Svir for his bris. After the petirah of Rav Neviazhsky in 1910, at the age of 70, he was welcomed The story is told that en route to Svir, 1873, Rav Gordon briefly took over as by the town’s Rabbonim, who called a Rosh Yeshiva of Telz in Cleveland the sleigh slipped and the baby fell out, Rav of Kovno before departing for Kelm meeting of philanthropists to discuss R’Mordechai Gifter z”tl, and a great- three months later. After some years as Telshe’s plight. But to Rav Gordon’s deep great-granddaughter of Rav Leizer Rov of Kelm, he headed to Slabodka and dismay, it did not seem as though his Gordon himself. then, eventually, moved to Telshe, or appeal had been well received. Broken Telz, to serve as the Rov there, arriving with disappointment, he suffered a in 1884. heart attack that same night and was What’s in a Name? Part of Rav Gordon’s duties in Telz niftar shortly afterwards. A week after Rav Gordon’s petira involved taking over the running By all accounts, the Jewish community the Sheffield Evening Press ran an of a fledgling yeshiva that had in London was grief-stricken when been established in 1877. Under his hearing of Rav Gordon’s petira so article on ‘The Jewish Gordons’ jurisdiction, it grew into one of the most soon after his arrival in London and, intrigued by the media interest famous yeshivos in the world. somewhat ironically, the appeal for surrounding the levaya. They Rav Gordon instituted many changes Telshe finally took off. At the end of the in the Telshe Yeshiva which are taken shiva, simultaneous hespedim were reported that the name Gordon for granted today but at the time were organised in all the shuls in the East became a familiar Jewish moniker considered revolutionary. Instead of End, with a collection raising £50 for after a Scottish doctor of that name having all talmidim grouped into one the yeshiva and for Rebbetzin Gordon. became a physician to the Russian general shiur, he divided them into The Montagu family, founders of the different levels so they could learn at a Federation of Synagogues, donated a Tzar, and eventually, a ger tzedek. pace suited to their age and ability. He further £50 to the yeshiva. When the Russian Gordons visit also appointed a mussar mashgiach to Rav Gordon is buried in Edmonton London, reported the paper, they look after the spiritual development Federation cemetery and his kever is often wonder where the ‘Scottish of his students. And finally, he visited by Yieden from across the globe. Gordons’ got their Jewish name!.