MARCH 16 • 2023 | 43
NEXT DOR
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etroit Jewish News 36 under 36
winner and attorney Jacob Gordon
was inspired by his father, attorney
Merrill Gordon, to go into the field of law.
“I’ve always loved the idea of rules and
how to find the most success while staying
within them,
” says Gordon of Birmingham.
Gordon, 27, who works for Honigman
LLP
, a business law firm, specializes in real
estate law with a focus on commercial real
estate transactions. He handles legal matters
for buying and selling commercial proper-
ties such as shopping centers, mobile home
parks, apartment buildings and residential
living areas, among others.
While his father, Merrill, instilled a love
for law into his son, Gordon also pulled
inspiration from his grandfather, Bert
Gordon, who was a real estate broker.
“I enjoy the tangibility of it,
” Gordon says
of real estate. “I love being able to drive
around town and look at a property and
be like, ‘We sold that property.
’ I can look
around my immediate surroundings and see
the impact of what I am doing.
”
INSPIRATIONAL SURROUNDINGS
Prior to beginning his work in real estate law
in September 2021, Gordon built the early
part of his legal career at a law firm called
Cannabis Counsel PLC. There, he focused
on helping people get licensing to sell and
grow recreational and medical cannabis.
It’s a challenging career path, he explains,
but one that’s immensely rewarding.
“There are long hours,
” Gordon says.
“Having something be really easy and fall
into your lap is nice, but having the oppor-
tunity to work really hard at something and
have it work out is enormously satisfying to
me.
”
While Gordon isn’t required to be in the
Honigman office five days a week, he choos-
es to come in nonetheless because he enjoys
being with his coworkers and clients.
“You learn very little about practical appli-
cations of law in law school,
” he explains.
“Being surrounded by the right people who
are willing to teach you in your professional
setting is important to grow as an attorney.
”
After attending Washington University in
St. Louis School of Law from 2018 to 2021,
Gordon could have launched a legal career
anywhere, but decided to return home to
grow his legal roots.
“There are really good friends of mine
[from law school] that I keep in touch with
daily,
” he says. “The city was great and a
phenomenal experience, but it did ultimate-
ly show me that there were things I wanted
here in Michigan.
”
More particularly, Gordon says, he missed
the Metro Detroit Jewish community.
“There’s something really unique and spe-
cial about what’s going on here in Detroit,
”
he continues, “and that’s what I wanted.
”
GIVING BACK
Now, Gordon is a first-year board member
of NEXTGen Detroit, an arm of the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit that
focuses on building a vibrant community for
young Jewish adults.
He sits on the NEXTWork committee,
which plans professional networking events
and assists with other event planning as well.
Through his undergraduate education
and law school, Gordon was also involved in
Jewish organizations. He was the vice presi-
dent of MSU Hillel and Philanthropy Chair
of the Jewish Law Society at Washington
University in St. Louis School of Law.
It’s a commitment and community that
Gordon feels compelled to contribute to.
“I’ve taken a lot and I’ve benefited
immensely from the Jewish community,
relationships and resources that have been
available,
” he says. “I’m constantly chasing
this challenge of giving back, but my
experiences continue to give me so much
more.
”
For Gordon, building and sustaining a
vibrant Jewish community is his way of
“paying back what I owe.
” He also recently
embarked on a JDC Entwine trip to
Argentina in December 2022 with other
young Jewish adults from Metro Detroit and
the greater Midwest region to learn about
the equally vibrant Jewish community of
Buenos Aires.
“The community is thriving down there,
”
he says. “It was really eye-opening.
”
Seeing the work JDC does on a global
level, Gordon explains, further reinforces his
passion and commitment to giving back to
the Jewish community.
“Getting to see these dollars at work
helped me feel more confident in my giving,
”
he says. “I can now explain to my friends
and family the impact that their efforts here
at home can have globally.
”
This is the first in a series about young adults who left
Michigan and have decided to come home and plant
their roots in Metro Detroit. If you or someone you know
want to be featured, send an email to jheadapohl@
thejewishnews.com.
NEXTGen Detroit board member Jacob Gordon is
committed to giving back to our Jewish community.
Back from St. Louis
ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
HOME AGAIN IN MICHIGAN
Gordon at Little Caesars Arena
for the “Nothin’ but NEXT” event
in November 2022
Jacob
Gordon