metro
A Troubled Life from page 8
low orders. Thanks to him, that reservist's
life is spared:'
Known for being positive and upbeat,
Gordon turned his military experience
into a life lesson. In a blog from his Sparks
of David site (http://belovedconsoler.
blogspot.com/), he wrote:
"If the military has taught me anything
ifs to appreciate the small things as well as
things I had previously taken for granted.
With all luxuries limited as of late, I have
a new appreciation for everyday gifts like
hot showers, tasty food, human connection,
entertainment and even freedom.
"Surprisingly, the army's limitation of all
these things has transformed me not only
into a reflexive warrior but, in many ways,
a happier person. When I have that free
time I'm more conscious of it. Every tune
is magic. Every kind pair of eyes is adored.
Every uninterrupted night's sleep with my
boots off is a miracle and, of course, time in
general is better utilized:'
A friend who knew Gordon throughout
his military career recalls his friend, who he
says became like family.
"Out of all of us, Gordon was the most
motivated and seemed to always be on
top of his game," he said. "This was why
he was chosen to be the radio man of our
immediate supervising officer:'
During their graduation ceremony, the
friend said Gordon received that officer's
own purple beret, which was quite an
honor.
"That last week he was alive, me and a
friend [and Gordon] went to some dive
bar in Tel Aviv. He seemed happy. He had
just moved into a home for Lone Soldiers
for Givati and was living with two of our
best friends:'
Alleged Abuse
Few of Gordon's friends — in Israel or
the U.S. — knew about the sexual abuse
he alleged took place in Detroit. His
Huffington Post blog was the first indi-
cation most who knew him had of any
trouble in his childhood.
In his piece, "Secrets Don't Get Better
with Age: Why I'm Choosing Leadership
Over Privacy," Gordon begins with a tale
of a blue-eyed boy with a terrible secret
of sexual abuse that he can't reveal to his
family and that causes him to isolate him-
self or to have explosive outbreaks if he's
pressed too much. Then Gordon reveals
that he is that boy.
"I kept my secret for eight years:' he
wrote. "For eight years, I suffered in
silence through the horrors of my own
personal Hell. I endured close to a decade
of rage, tears and ultimately self-destruc-
tion. The memories are nauseating, the
shame unparalleled.
"As a victim of recurrent sexual abuse by
numerous perpetrators within Michigan's
Jewish communities, those eight years
of secrecy were horrific. Synagogues and
other Jewish institutions in the Oak Park
10 August 28 • 2014
I
Gordon had some time off from the IDF to visit a friend
in Spain.
Proud IDF soldiers Yonah Hochhauser and David Gordon
"I wanted to be a positive influence on a global level. I wanted
to lift up the downtrodden who shared my pains of abuse and
lack of expression and voice."
— David Menachem Gordon
and Southfield areas of Detroit provided
the secret hideout where I endured mul-
tiple forms of molestation, sexual manipu-
lation and rape from the ages of 8 to 11:'
When Gordon got the courage to dis-
close his alleged abuse behind closed
doors with rabbis here, he says in his
blog he was disappointed with the lack of
response.
Then he discovered writing, an outlet
that would earn him an internship and
job at The Suit magazine, a business publi-
cation in New York.
"... the more I told my secret, the far-
ther it became removed from my psyche
he wrote in his blog. "I told trusted teach-
ers, therapists, mentors and friends but,
most frequently, I spilled my secret on
paper. Writing became my unique and
effective form of expression and it enabled
me to have a bold voice without excessive
public exposure:'
Gordon also wrote that years of group
meetings and private therapy enabled him
to face his reality and find the strength to
survive.
"Past the pain, shame, flashbacks and
emotional setbacks linked with my abuse,
a spark of hope glowed:' he wrote in his
Huffington Post piece. "I wanted to be a
positive influence on a global level. I want-
ed to lift up the downtrodden who shared
my pains of abuse and lack of expression
and voice:'
So when he arrived in Israel, one of
the first things he did was to volunteer at
Magen, the Child Protection Organization
based in Beit Shemesh. He introduced
himself as a survivor of sexual abuse and
went to work.
Gordon set up a website for Magen,
established and promoted media relations,
and also helped with specific child protec-
tion cases. As a result of his work, accord-
ing to a tribute to Gordon on the organiza-
tion's website, a known perpetrator was
blocked by Magen from continuing his
work in an Orthodox summer camp for
hundreds of kids in the U.S.
In a Sparks of David blog on Jan. 2,
2014, titled, "Secrets Part II: Joining the
Revolution:' Gordon looks back over the
six months since his Huffington Post piece
was posted.
"The article shocked many in the United
States and abroad, but words cannot
describe how moved I was by the out-
pouring of responses —from friends and
strangers alike — full of love, support and
encouragement. Dozens of previously 'hid-
den victims contacted me to share their
silent pain, look for help and express their
gratitude to me for speaking out on behalf
of those who cannot find a voice:'
He also witnessed the beginning of
justice for victims. Included in this 2014
blog are links to 25 stories that broke after
his Huffington Post blog. They included
articles about Jewish perpetrators facing
charges, arrest and prison, victims telling
their stories or being awarded restitution
in lawsuits, and of sexual abuse prevention
programs springing up at camps and in
Jewish communities.
One of the biggest stories involved a
$380 million lawsuit filed by 19 Yeshiva
University students claiming a sexual
abuse cover-up in the 1980s at the New-
York City high school. That case resulted
in the resignation of Rabbi Norman
A Troubled Life on page 12
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