Background
He was born in Zelenopol, a Jewish agricultural colony in Russia near Yekaterinoslav, now in (Ukraine), but grew up in an orphanage in Berdyansk.
He was born in Zelenopol, a Jewish agricultural colony in Russia near Yekaterinoslav, now in (Ukraine), but grew up in an orphanage in Berdyansk.
Gordon studied at the Yiddish language departments (rabfak) of the Odessa Pedagogical Institute, then Moscow Pedagogical Institute.
Wartime themes would also figure in his literary work. Elye Gordon debuted in 1930 with two books (a novel Vildgroz, Wild grass, and a collection of short stories Af griner erd, On the green soil) and over the years published several more novels and numerous short stories in many Soviet Yiddish publications, collected in at least 14 books "Vildgroz" (1930)
"Af griner erd" (1930)
"Ingul-Boyar" (1935)
"In a gosregn" (1937)
"Dray brider" (1938)
"Dertseylungen un noveln" (1939)
"In eygene kantn" (the novel "Dray brider" and short stories) (1969)
"Unter der heyser zun" (1978)
"Laykht-turem" (1989).