Rabbi Yehoshua Binyomin (Josh) Gordon, 66, Chabad representative of Encinco, California since 1973, passed away on Monday, 28 Shevat 5776, after battling an illness.
Rabbi Gordon and his wife Deborah were one of the Rebbe’s early representatives to the state of California. Under his leadership, Jewish life in the San Fernando Valley would blossom. From his headquarters in Tarzana, Rabbi Gordon oversaw the establishment of 26 Chabad centers, mikvahs, Hebrew schools, summer camps, adult education, and a host of social and religious programs serving the region.
With sensitivity and concern for the individual, Rabbi Gordon fostered a spirit of unity and camaraderie among the Chabad representatives leading the Valley’s Jewish communities. He became widely known and much regarded for the daily online classes he led on Chumash with Rashi, the book of Tanya and Maimonides’s Mishneh Torah.
“Rabbi Gordon’s success guiding the many Chabad representatives and centers under his aegis, made him a role model to many shluchim,” said Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, in a statement this morning on lubavitch.com. “His many accomplishments, and the inspiration he brought to so many individuals and families through his classes and his leadership, make this a very sad day. His premature passing will leave a huge void.”
Son of the late Rabbi Sholom Ber Gordon, a Chasidic personality and representative in New Jersey, Gordon descended from an illustrious Chasidic family.
He is survived by his wife Rebbetzin Deborah Gordon, and their children, Rabbi Yossi Gordon – Woodland Hills, CA, Yochanon Gordon – Tarzana, CA, Faygie Herzog – Encino, CA, Rabbi Eli Gordon – Encino, CA, Dena Rabin – West Hills, CA and Chaya Mushka Drizin – Los Angeles, CA; and grandchildren.
He is also survived by his siblings Mrs. Yocheved Baitelman – Brooklyn, NY; Mrs. Chanie Friedman – St. Paul, Minnesota; Mrs. Bluma Rivkin – New Orleans, Louisiana; Rabbi Yossi Gordon – Melbourne, Australia; Rabbi Mendel Gordon – London, England; Mrs. Frumie Posner – Birmingham, Alabama.
Yehi Zichro Boruch…
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4 Responses
What a loss!
I am not affiliated with Chabad but I once came across his online Chumash and Tanya classes and was really impressed, have benefited from many shiurim of his…
thanks to this gr8 shliac of the REBBE . i was abel to learn on line every day the sheuriem for that day . he will live on tru his taped classe which can be viewd every day on line on
chabad.org.com nice pase and he explaines very well to people who are not so learned . but want to learn BDE we will miss you .
i new him as a older bacure in yeshiva in Montreal in the 70s
i miss u josh BDE
In his personal reflections, Rabbi Gordon shares unique words of consolation that the Rebbe told his father and grandfather at the shiva of his paternal grandmother in 1957.
“When someone passes away,” said the Rebbe to the Gordon family, “They don’t leave. They just go up to the second floor.”
JOSH WILL BE MISSED , BUT NEVER 4GOTEN
he will be remembered for all of his good work.
BD”E