“Helping others is something I enjoy doing and it keeps me going,” said Gordon in a recent interview at a local Second Cup. “I would hope that if I was ever in a situation where I needed assistance, my community would be there for me.”

There was a time when Gordon required such help. At age nine, he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel illness, and he had to face some difficult adjustments to his lifestyle.

He often felt sick and tired, and he sometimes stayed in the hospital for weeks or even months at a time. Some nights he had difficulty sleeping and would subsequently arrive late for school.

Going out with friends also became difficult, which he found particularly frustrating. In addition to his family, his classmates and teachers provided him with much support and came to visit him in the hospital.

Studies indicate that more than 200,000 Canadians suffer from Crohn’s. Gordon noted that the disease is also common in a large proportion of the Jewish population, although it’s not something that people openly discuss.

There is no cure for Crohn’s, but surgical procedures and medications are available.

Regardless, nothing seemed to work for Gordon, who even tried changing his diet and using alternative therapeutic methods such as Reiki and acupuncture.  

“The disease takes its course differently in every patient,” he said. “You have to find what works best for you.”

Gordon, currently a kinesiology and health science student at York University, discovered that fitness was the one thing that helped him. If he didn’t take a walk or engage in some sort of physical activity for a few days, he didn’t feel well.

He also found solace with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC). Thanks to his parents’ insistence, in 1998 he attended the CCFC’s annual fundraiser and soon began volunteering with the organization.

“At first, I thought if I ignored the illness, like a bully it would go away,” said Gordon. “Then I realized it would be something I’d face for a very long time.

“My motto became with me but not me. I didn’t want the illness to [define] who I was, but I knew it was still a part of me and might shape the things I’d do.”

Gordon went door to door to raise funds for the CCFC, managing to collect about $10,000 in a year. He later also spoke about the disease on Breakfast Television and other media outlets.

Last year, Gordon joined the CCFC’s Youth Advisory Council, through which he assists in devising more youth programs and garnering youth involvement with the organization.

In recognition of his efforts, Gordon received the 2008 UCBeyond Crohn’s Disease Scholarship.

In the future, he plans to write a book about his experiences with Crohn’s to help other youth with the disease understand what it’s about and what to expect.

Gordon adopted the values of volunteering in the community from an early age, seeing how his parents and grandparents were always involved in various causes.

For the past eight years, Gordon has also been volunteering for the Starlight Children’s Foundation, assisting in planning programs and granting wishes for seriously ill children and their families. Together with his mother Meriel and his twin sister Ronit, he also plans to launch an organization aimed at alleviating poverty for Toronto’s general population, as well as the Jewish community.

Formerly, he was a youth leader at his synagogue, as well as a volunteer with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Hillel, Jewish National Fund and Ve’ahavta.
Raised in a Modern Orthodox family, Gordon feels that his Jewish background has also played a role in inspiring his commitment to make a difference in others’ lives.

“There’s the phrase in Judaism of helping your fellow man (ben adam l’chavero),” he said. “A huge part of Jewish life is chessed and mitzvoth.

“Our Jewish history has taught us that. In the Torah, you learn about Abraham, who would open his doors to whoever he would see was out there that needed help. Similarly, its been instilled in me to look around and see who I can help in my community.”