Harold Gordon lived several lifetimes. Some, including his adult chapter in Salinas, were full of joy. Some, like four-and-a-half years of childhood spent in five Nazi concentration camps, were full of tragedy.
Gordon was a storyteller who shared the good, the bad and the ugly, willing to confront the difficulties he endured head-on. He made sure thousands of people heard his message about tolerance, not hate, before he died peacefully at age 93 in Salinas on Saturday, Aug. 12, surrounded by family members.
Gordon was born in Grodno, Poland, with the name Hirshiel Grodzienski. In 1941 at age 10, he and his family were imprisoned in concentration camps; he and his father, formerly a barber, were liberated from Auschwitz by U.S. forces in 1945. His mother, Bluma, and younger brother, Sender, perished in the camps.
The next year, Gordon immigrated to the U.S., settled in Los Angeles and graduated from high school in 1949. He went on to join the U.S. Army and served during the Korean War, from 1951-53. He moved to Salinas as a newlywed to his wife, Joyce, and was sworn in as an American citizen at the Monterey County Superior Courthouse in 1952.
After retiring from a 38-year career with Unocal Oil Co., Gordon put his story to paper by writing an autobiography, The Last Sunrise: A True Story, published in 1992.
"For Gordon, the compulsion to write about the camps was part of a plan made almost 50 years ago, the plan of a 15-year-old boy who had touched the very gates of hell and needed a road map back to something of a normal life," according to a Monterey County Weekly story in 1994.
He told his story not just in written form but in countless presentations to school and community groups, including church and synagogue congregations; it's estimated that Gordon presents to more than 29,000 students during his lifetime.
Gordon was recognized for his service to the community with a resolution from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors on May 30, 2018. They honored his many public speeches, and also acknowledged his membership in the Elks Honor Guard (30 years) and in the Optimist Club (11 years).
"Harold Gordon deserves special recognition for unselfishly giving his time, energy and talents to the citizens of Monterey County," according to the resolution. The board acknowledged him "for his outstanding service to the residents of Monterey County and encourages residents to live by his message of tolerance and love for others."
In his autobiography and his remarks, Gordon emphasized principles of forgiveness and ideas for ending a cycle of hatred. He understood the value of looking back into history while also emphasizing the future. Gordon focused on how to move beyond bitterness, says Cantor Margaret Bruner of Temple Beth El in Salinas: "The only way he could move on with his life was to forgive."
"He dedicated his life to educating our community, especially our youth, about the Holocaust and the power of forgiveness," says County Supervisor Luis Alejo of Salinas. "We have lost a truly remarkable man who made a tremendous difference throughout his life."
Gordon remained practical yet hopeful. In his 1994 interview with the Weekly, he said he thought it was entirely possible a Holocaust could happen again, and that hatred feeds the possibility. "But just because that happens," he said, "doesn't mean you lose faith in the human race of this world. This is the only game in town. This is the only world."
Gordon was also known for a love of spending time with people. According to to a family obituary, he loved traveling, meeting new people, hosting and entertaining friends and dancing.
He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Joyce Gordon, two sons, nine grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren. Gordon's father, Ely, died in 1986 in Southern California.
A funeral will be held at 11am on Friday, Aug. 18 at Temple Beth El, 1212 Riker St. In lieu of flowers or for anyone wishing to make a donation in Gordon's memory, his family suggests donating to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., or to Temple Beth El in Salinas.