MORTKHE-YOYSEF (MORDECHAI-YOSEF) GOTHARD

MORTKHE-YOYSEF (MORDECHAI-YOSEF) GOTHARD (b. October 24, 1891)

            He was born in Lodz, Poland, into an elite Hassidic family.  He studied in religious primary school.  In 1904 he was sent to Jerusalem to study at the Torat Chaim Yeshiva.  Later, he became a community leader.  For a time he worked as a teacher of Hebrew.  He was subsequently general secretary of the Vaad Hachinuch ([Orthodox] board of education) in Jerusalem.  He contributed articles to newspapers in Palestine: Haor (The light), Hatsvi (The gazelle), Haḥerut (Freedom), Doar hayom (Today’s mail), and Haarets (The land).  He was the Palestine correspondent for Hazman (The times) in Vilna, and from 1918 to 1934, for Lodzer tageblat (Lodz daily newspaper).  He published political reports of matters of concern to Israel.  In 1937 he was working as a lawyer.  He was living in Tel Aviv.

Source: D. Tidhar, in Entsiklopedyah leḥalutse hayishuv uvonav (Encyclopedia of the founders and builders of Israel) (Tel Aviv, 1947-1971), pp. 1234-35.