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Gordin, Abba

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Abba Gordin (1887 Mihalishki - 1964 Tel Aviv) was an anarchist theoretician, revolutionary activist and Yiddish, Hebrew and Russian writer. He received a traditional Jewish education and was self-taught in general subjects. He wrote in Yiddish, Hebrew, Russian, as well as in English. As early as 1904 Abba Gordin organized a tailor-apprentices’ strike in Ostrow, and during the first Russian revolution of 1905-1907 was affiliated with the labor-Zionist youth movement Tseirei Zion. In 1906 he was imprisoned by the Russian authorities for leading a political demonstration and advocating unrest in Vilkomir. In 1908, together with his brother Wolf Gordin, he opened a secular Hebrew school "Ivria" in Smorgon. They experimented with a new unique form of pedagogy, composed textbooks for Jewish youth, and founded their own publishing house. During World War I Abba Gordin moved to Moscow. He joined the editorial staff of the daily anarchists' Russian newspaper Anarkhia (1917-1918), where he published his works. In 1918, he was arrested by the Bolsheviks and sentenced to death, but shortly before his execution Vladimir Lenin intervened on his behalf. He was the secretary of the All-Russian Union of the Anarchists, and was elected to the Moscow Soviet in 1919. Following this he was arrested again, and released after three months following a hunger strike and a riot in jail. In 1920 he founded the "Anarchist-Universalist" organization. In 1925, speaking at a public event, Abba Gordin was shot, and then arrested again. He was released thanks to the personal intercession of Lenin's wife, and escaped from the USSR. In 1927 he settled in New York. In the 1930s Abba Gordin established the Jewish Ethical Society. He became a co-editor of the Yiddish-language anarchist journal Freie Arbeiter Stimme, and edited Yidishe Shriftn in 1941–1946. In 1957, he moved to Israel. Abba Gordin’s private collection contains his correspondence with various personalities and with magazines’ editorials, his memoirs, a diary, his works, and publications on his activities from various newspapers --

Reference Code
P216
Dates
1917-1964
Consists of
146 files..
Languages
Yiddish; English; Hebrew; Russian;
Description
Private collection of Abba Gordin consisting of his correspondence, memoirs, a diary from 1925/1926, his works, and publications on his life and activities from various newspapers. The correspondence contains letters received by Abba Gordin from public and cultural activists, from his relatives and from periodicals’ editorials. For example, the collection holds Abba Gordin's correspondence with his younger brother Morris, who joined the Bolsheviks, and later became a Trotskyist, and then emigrated to USA, converted to Protestantism and became a missionary activist. The collection contains Gordin's correspondence with editorial of HaDoar (Hebrew language periodical published in the United States), where he published his articles. The collection also includes copies from the books of Abba Gordin’s father, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Gordin. Abba Gordin's memoirs refer to different periods in his life and activities. For example, some shed light on his activities in his youth in Smorgon. They may be of particular interest for scholars interested in the history of anarchism and revolutionary movement in Russia.
Title Gordin, Abba.
Additional Titles Anarkhia
Freie Arbeiter Stimme
Contributors Yehudah Leyb ben Meʾir,Gordon 1860-1927
WolfGordon
Abraham,Sutzkever 1913-2010
Rachel,Boymvol 1914-2000
Zeire Zion
Jewish Ethical Society
Notes The YIVO Archives in New York include Abba Gordin's correspondence with literary and cultural figures (RG271). The National Library of Israel contain letters from Abba Gordin to Abraham Sutzkever, Rachel Boymvol and others.
Host Item Gordin, Abba - Private Collection
Level of Description Fonds Record
Biographical summary Abba Gordin was born in Mihalishki in 1887. His father was Rabbi Yehuda Leib Gordin. Abba Gordin received a traditional Jewish education in heder and yeshiva. He was self-taught in general subjects, and wrote in Yiddish, Hebrew, Russian, as well as in English. As early as 1904 Abba Gordin organized tailor-apprentices in Ostrow, lectured to them, and headed their first strike. During the first Russian revolution of 1905-1907 he was affiliated with the labor-Zionist youth movement Tseirei Zion, and operated as a propagandist in Kreslavka, Dvinsk and many other places. In 1906 he headed a political demonstration in Vilkomir and was imprisoned after leading to storm the jail and free political prisoners in the city. In 1908, together with his brother Wolf Gordin, he opened a secular Hebrew school "Ivria" in Smorgon. They experimented with a new unique form of pedagogy, composed textbooks for the Jewish youth, and founded their own publishing house. During World War I Abba Gordin moved to Moscow and joined the editorial staff of the daily Russian newspaper Anarkhia, published by the Moscow Federation of Anarchists in 1917-1918. There, together with his brother, he published a series of works on the theory of anarchism. In 1918, he was arrested by the Bolsheviks and sentenced to death, but shortly before the execution Vladimir Lenin intervened on his behalf. In 1919 he was a secretary of the All-Russian Union of the Anarchists, and was a popular spokesperson among Russia's radical working class. Gordin was a worker in a munitions factory, and was elected to the Moscow Soviet instead of the Bolsheviks’ nominee the People’s Commissar of Public Health Dr. Nikolai Semashko. Following this, the Bolsheviks annulled the election, and arrested A. Gordin. He was released after three months due to a hunger strike and a riot in jail. In 1920 he founded the "Anarchist-Universalist" organization, that supported the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War. In 1925, speaking at a public event, Abba Gordin was shot, and then again arrested by the Bolsheviks. He was released only thanks to the personal intercession of Nadezhda Krupskaya, Lenin's wife, and fled across the Manchurian border. In 1927 he settled in New York. In the 1930s he established the Jewish Ethical Society, became a co-editor of the Yiddish-language anarchist journal Freie Arbeiter Stimme, and edited Yidishe Shriftn in 1941–1946. In 1957, he moved to Israel. Abba Gordin died in Tel Aviv in 1964.
Ownership history In 1996, Abba Gordin's niece, transferred his archives to the Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People in Jerusalem.
Language Note Yiddish
English
Hebrew
Russian
National Library system number 990043444750205171
Links פרטים על מיקום החומר/Location&access
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