Gad Navon
Encyclopedia
Rabbi Gad Navon was the third chief Rabbi
of the IDF.
in 1922 with the name Mimun Fahima He was ordained there as Rabbi after completing the whole Talmud
and being recognized as an expert. He participated in the illegal immigration
of Jews to Palestine
in defiance of the British colonial government and was sent to France
on behalf of the Zionist movement. He immigrated to Israel
in 1948, served as a fighter of the Negev Brigade
of the Palmach
and was appointed chaplain
in the brigade.
In 1950, he was appointed chaplain of the Southern Command and afterward of the Northern Command. In 1965, he served as a member of a military tribunal
headed by Rabbi Shlomo Goren
. During the Six-Day War
he was the chaplain of the Northern Command, holding the rank of lieutenant colonel
.
In June 1971, with the retirement of Major-General Rabbi Shlomo Goren, he was appointed deputy chief military rabbi to Rabbi Mordechai Peron
and was given the rank of Colonel
, after the Yom Kippur War
he was promoted to Brigadier General
.
In February 1977 he was appointed the third chief military rabbi and given the rank of major general. During his tenure, there was a gradual transition of military chaplains from being Religious officers, to being military Rabbis. He also founded the military Rabbinical course; and in addition to the standard Sergeant chaplain present in every reserve battalion, he appointed a military Rabbi at the battalion rank.
Rabbi Navon published Halachic papers on the issue of identification of Fallen Soldiers, and during his tenure, technological means of identification were given more credibility. He served as chief military rabbi until May 2000.
He was a member of the Moriah Institute in the organization of the Freemasons.
He died on the 25th of June, 2006, and was buried on Mount Herzl
military cemetery.
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
of the IDF.
Biography
He was born in MoroccoMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
in 1922 with the name Mimun Fahima He was ordained there as Rabbi after completing the whole Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
and being recognized as an expert. He participated in the illegal immigration
Illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration into a nation in violation of the immigration laws of that jurisdiction. Illegal immigration raises many political, economical and social issues and has become a source of major controversy in developed countries and the more successful developing countries.In...
of Jews to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
in defiance of the British colonial government and was sent to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on behalf of the Zionist movement. He immigrated to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1948, served as a fighter of the Negev Brigade
Negev Brigade
The 12th Negev Brigade was an Israeli infantry brigade that served in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. It was commanded by Nahum "Sergei" Sarig and consisted of four Palmach battalions...
of the Palmach
Palmach
The Palmach was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Yishuv during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine. The Palmach was established on May 15, 1941...
and was appointed chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
in the brigade.
In 1950, he was appointed chaplain of the Southern Command and afterward of the Northern Command. In 1965, he served as a member of a military tribunal
Military tribunal
A military tribunal is a kind of military court designed to try members of enemy forces during wartime, operating outside the scope of conventional criminal and civil proceedings. The judges are military officers and fulfill the role of jurors...
headed by Rabbi Shlomo Goren
Shlomo Goren
Shlomo Goren , was an Orthodox Religious Zionist rabbi in Israel who founded and served as the first head of the Military Rabbinate of the Israel Defense Forces and subsequently as the third Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 1973 to 1983.He served in the Israel Defense Forces during three wars,...
. During the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
he was the chaplain of the Northern Command, holding the rank of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
.
In June 1971, with the retirement of Major-General Rabbi Shlomo Goren, he was appointed deputy chief military rabbi to Rabbi Mordechai Peron
Mordechai Peron
Rabbi Mordechai Piron or Mordechai Peron , born Egon Pisk 28 December 1921 in Vienna, Austria, was the second chief military rabbi in the history of the Israel Defence Forces , after his predecessor, Rabbi Shlomo Goren, created the position in 1948. Rabbi Piron served in the position from 1969 to...
and was given the rank of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
, after the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
he was promoted to Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
.
In February 1977 he was appointed the third chief military rabbi and given the rank of major general. During his tenure, there was a gradual transition of military chaplains from being Religious officers, to being military Rabbis. He also founded the military Rabbinical course; and in addition to the standard Sergeant chaplain present in every reserve battalion, he appointed a military Rabbi at the battalion rank.
Rabbi Navon published Halachic papers on the issue of identification of Fallen Soldiers, and during his tenure, technological means of identification were given more credibility. He served as chief military rabbi until May 2000.
He was a member of the Moriah Institute in the organization of the Freemasons.
He died on the 25th of June, 2006, and was buried on Mount Herzl
Mount Herzl
Mount Herzl , also Har HaZikaron , is the national cemetery of Israel on the west side of Jerusalem. It is named for Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern political Zionism. Herzl's tomb lies at the top of the hill. Yad Vashem, which commemorates the Holocaust, lies to the west of Mt. Herzl....
military cemetery.