Born in Ukraine, Gordon emerged as a leader in the nascent Zionist movement. Part of the Second Aliyah, he was the rare middle-aged, devout Jew to settle in Palestine in the early 20th century. He saw agricultural labor as a way to lift up Jews spiritually. As the founder of Hapoel Hatzair, he advocated a form of Labor Zionism that rejected Marxism and stressed respect for the environment.
Photo: Central Zionist Archives