Rabbi Lt. Col. (res.) Gideon Langman, who served as chaplain of the Israel Defense Forces' Brigade 8 for nearly half a century, died Friday at age 84.
An educator, rabbi, volunteer, and community leader, Langman dedicated much of his life to military service and public welfare. He served for decades in the IDF reserves with Brigade 8 (known as "the Old Man's Brigade") becoming one of the unit's most recognizable figures and a living link to its history.
Born in Bnei Brak in 1941, Langman studied at the Hebron Yeshiva in Jerusalem beginning in 1960 and received rabbinic ordination in 1963. During the 1967 Six-Day War, he fought in northern Golan Heights as a combat medic with Brigade 8's reconnaissance company. During the battles, he treated wounded soldiers, including the deputy company commander who was severely injured.
Following the war, he was appointed brigade chaplain, a position he held for close to fifty years. Alongside his chaplaincy duties, he also served as the brigade's heritage officer, working to preserve the stories and legacy of Brigade 8's battles. Even as he aged beyond most active servicemembers, Langman continued attending training exercises and brigade activities, often bringing gifts for soldiers that he collected from Jerusalem shops and factories, and personally looking after their welfare.
In 2017, at age 76, he participated in a reenactment of the battle for the Golan Heights as part of the 50th anniversary commemorations of the Six-Day War.
Barcuh Dayan HaEmet.
