Robert "Bob" Gordon

Robert “Bob” Gordon was born in Boston, April 10th, 1939, to Mary Glaser and Louis Gordon. Gordon passed away early Monday morning after complications from cancer and a head injury. He is survived by his wife Doris, children Dave and Mike, stepchildren Lori and Lisa, and grandchildren Jonah, Max, Lila, Tessa, Tristan, and Eloise. Bob and Doris Gordon were inseparable since 1984 and married in 1992. Together, the couple were adventurous and avid travelers who visited almost every corner of the world. They embarked on numerous business and charitable ventures and were thoroughly committed to their children and grandchildren. The couple enjoyed live music and were regular attendees at the Boston Symphony and countless Phish concerts from the very first to the most recent one, where Gordon’s son Mike played bass.

Gordon’s dedication to his family was matched by his dedication to social justice. In the early 1950’s, there was an emerging recognition that the American Jewish community had not done enough for the millions that had perished in the Holocaust. And that anti-Semitism was still alive and well in the United States. Bob Gordon grew up at a time of this growing awareness. And over time, he became deeply concerned about the plight of Jews throughout the world. The struggles and persecution of Jews in the Soviet Union was particularly alarming where at least two million Jews were deprived of their cultural heritage and of the right to emigrate. Gordon founded Action for Soviet Jewry in 1974, and traveled repeatedly to the Soviet Union where he distributed contraband items such as Torahs and electronics to those in need. He and others visited persecuted Soviet Jews, who were referred to as “refuseniks” until the Soviets declared him persona non-grata and barred his entry. He provided financial support to refuseniks, who were fired or demoted due to their political beliefs and desire to emigrate.

Gordon further served as president of the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews, a group which worked with the United States Congress, especially Representative Father Drinan, to pressure the Soviets to let the Jews emigrate. In this capacity, Gordon met with Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin and worked with Natan Sharansky, an imprisoned refusenik and prominent dissident. Ultimately, Gordon’s work, along with similar efforts, prevailed, and over 1,600,000 Jews were allowed to leave. Gordon worked to help them settle in the United States and Israel.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Gordon worked with the Combined Jewish Philanthropies to support Jews that remained in Russia and Ukraine. Bob and his wife Doris worked with Rabbi Shmeul Kamineski and his wife Chana to build a Jewish community medical center that provided pharmaceutical and clinical care in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine. This was available to Jews and non-Jews alike. In the 1990s and 2000s the Gordons traveled to Ukraine many times, pioneering a friendship between the Jewish communities of Boston and Dnipropetrovsk, which became known as Boston’s “Jewish sister city.”

Though Gordon’s life is marked by many accomplishments benefiting Jews throughout the world, his true character is exemplified by his recognition that human rights are universal. He profoundly believed that all people should live free of oppression. He was not shy about opposing the Israeli government’s denial of equal rights to Israeli Arab citizens. He served as co-chair of the Social Venture Fund for Jewish-Arab equality in Israel. Gordon was passionate about the effort to create a truly shared society in Israel in which every person could enjoy equal rights and equal opportunities.

Gordon’s commitment to justice and equality was shaped during his formative years. His family adopted a Jewish child from Germany, whose mother was arrested and executed at Auschwitz. The six-year-old had been evacuated from Berlin to an orphanage in France where he and other Jews were hunted for execution by the Nazis. The children were denied entry by the US State Department – during the Roosevelt administration -- which opposed the entry of Jews and refused to increase immigration quotas for Jewish refugees. He was admitted when an American Quaker organization fabricated the story that these were Quaker children. The Gordon family adopted him, and he grew up as Bob’s brother.

Gordon was admitted to Harvard College just after the quota on Jewish students, in place since the early 20’s, was lifted in the ‘50’s. He graduated from Harvard in 1960 and from Harvard Business School in 1962. After leaving Harvard, he worked with Ralph Hoagland’s health and beauty stores, which eventually became CVS. In 1968 Gordon started his own company, a convenience store that subsequently became Store 24. This he led for over 30 years– with many years joined by Doris– growing the company to 109 stores.

As a business owner, he embedded a philosophy of civic responsibility deeply in the company’s culture. He chose to open stores in disenfranchised neighborhoods where other businesses were afraid to venture, with the goal of rejuvenating the communities. Gordon believed in being a good neighbor in each location, actively engaging with local needs and understanding what mattered most to the people he served. Store 24 was involved with local organizations and often hosted community events. Within the company itself, he consistently encouraged and challenged employees to think boldly and believe in their own potential, and many employees grew their careers across all different parts of the company.

His influence in the convenience store industry extended beyond his own company. He became president of the New England Convenience Store Association and became chairman of the National Association of Convenience Stores in the late 1990s, advocating for the industry on issues ranging from technology to preparing for the future.

Up until the time of his passing, he worked in commercial real estate investment and, alongside his wife, Doris, supported various local nonprofit and charitable organizations, including public art installations in the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

Gordon did his work to repair the world quietly, effectively, humbly and inspirationally. His directness, honesty, and persistence benefitted those close to him. His relentless generosity was deeply appreciated by his siblings, children, grandchildren, and friends, and his efforts touched the lives of many people throughout the globe.

A funeral service will be held at Levine Chapels, 470 Harvard St., Brookline on Thursday, June 25th at 11am with live-stream viewing available using the following link: www.levinelive.com/robertgordon

Burial will follow at the Adath Jeshurun Cemetery, 350 Grove St., West Roxbury.

Shiva will be held at his late residence on Friday, June 26 from 2pm-6pm and Sunday June 28 from 12pm-4pm.

Any gifts celebrating Bob’s life should be donated to The Soviet Jewry Movement Education Project: https://sovietjewryarchives.org/donate/