Retired Colonel Rabbi Gideon Langman, Longtime IDF Brigade 8 Rabbi, Passes Away

Retired Colonel Rabbi Gideon Langman, who served as the rabbi of IDF Brigade 8 for nearly fifty years, passed away on the eve of Shabbat, August 18, 2023 (9 Elul 5786). Langman was a dedicated educator, rabbi, volunteer, and public figure who devoted much of his life to military service and community work. Born in Bnei Brak in 1941, he began studying at Hebron Yeshiva in Jerusalem in 1960 and was ordained as a rabbi in 1963. During the Six-Day War, he served as a combat medic in the northern Golan Heights sector with Brigade 8, treating wounded soldiers including a severely injured deputy platoon commander.

Following the war, Langman was appointed the brigade’s rabbi, a role he held for nearly five decades. He also served as the brigade’s heritage officer, preserving its battle stories and legacy. Even in his later years, he regularly attended training and events, personally caring for soldiers’ welfare and bringing gifts collected from Jerusalem shops and factories. In 2017, he participated in a reenactment of the battle to liberate the Golan Heights during the 50th anniversary commemorations of the Six-Day War.

Langman viewed military service as an essential public duty, emphasizing to soldiers the importance of reserve duty with the message, "Without the army, we would have no country." Alongside his military career, he was a lifelong educator, starting as a teacher and advancing to deputy principal and principal. He served as the religious education supervisor for the Southern District in the Ministry of Education and managed Evelina de Rothschild High School in Jerusalem for 27 years until retiring in 2003.

His public service extended beyond the army and education. While living in Netivot, he helped establish and voluntarily managed a Magen David Adom station and was a founder and commander of the city’s Civil Guard base. After moving to Jerusalem, he volunteered for the Israel Police, Magen David Adom, ZAKA, and Chevra Kadisha. He attained the rank of special deputy commissioner in the police and was active in recruiting and supporting volunteers. Police sources noted his regular Friday visits to the Western Wall to assist tourists and worshippers. For his extensive volunteer work, he received the President’s Volunteer Award and was honored as a distinguished citizen of Jerusalem.

Upon news of his passing, colleagues from Brigade 8 and the volunteer community praised Langman as a unifying figure who integrated Torah, military service, and brigade heritage. One former brigade commander said, "Gideon skillfully combined Torah and military service in an inspiring way." He leaves behind a large family and a legacy of decades of service, education, and volunteerism. His funeral is scheduled for Sunday, August 20, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. from the Shamgar Funeral Home to Har HaMenuchot in Givat Shaul. May his memory be a blessing.