Held up on official business on the other side of Los Angeles, LAPD Chief of Police Jim McDonnell took a helicopter to arrive in time to personally present Rabbi Sholom Langsam with the Award for Excellence in Police Chaplaincy.

Joining them at the 31st Annual LAPD Chaplain Banquet were Israel National Police Chief Superintendent Golan Dadon, LAPD command staff, officers, fellow chaplains, family, and friends. The recipient was chosen anonymously by chaplains of different faiths and backgrounds, and for Rabbi Langsam, the recognition came as a surprise.

Behind the honor is a shlichus that places a frum Jew where a rabbi is rarely found, and where a listening ear can make an enormous difference.

Officers witness scenes most people will never encounter: a child suffering abuse, a family shattered by violence, a life suddenly lost. The call ends, but what they have seen can follow them home. A chaplain offers someone to turn to, a place to speak openly and unburden themselves.

In his remarks, Rabbi Langsam drew on a teaching from Tanya about chesed and gevurah. Malach Michael represents chesed, lovingkindness, while Malach Gavriel represents gevurah, strength and discipline. Law enforcement demands tremendous gevurah: courage, restraint, judgment, and the willingness to move toward danger. But behind that strength, he explained, there must also be chesed, the ability to see the humanity and dignity of the person standing in front of you.

“The chaplain stands beside that strength with kindness,” he said, reminding those who carry so much for others that they, too, deserve to be seen, supported, and cared for.

That presence also opens doors to neshamos. A Jewish officer who rarely enters a shul may put on tefillin at work. A conversation with an agent or service member may turn to Yom Tov, Jewish identity, or emunah. Among non-Jewish colleagues, the same daily encounters become opportunities for Kiddush Hashem, as Torah values show through how a frum Jew treats others, keeps his word, and shows up when needed.

Sometimes, Rabbi Langsam says, Kiddush Hashem means saying yes, again and again, to someone who needs support. Sometimes it means a respectful no. In 2020, after being named an LAPD Reserve Officer of the Year, he declined to attend the awards ceremony because it was held on Shabbos. The recognition mattered, but his commitment to Shabbos came first.

Rabbi Langsam serves as a chaplain with the LAPD, United States Secret Service, FBI, and Los Angeles County Probation, and as an ACS chaplain with the United States Coast Guard. As executive director of SoulLinks, he provides Jewish chaplaincy, spiritual care, and outreach to law enforcement personnel, military members, veterans, and their families.

Inscribed on the award were the words “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Vayikra 19:18). For Rabbi Langsam, they describe the work that continues long after the banquet: reaching another neshamah, answering another call, and making time for someone who needs to be heard.

In the words of the SoulLinks mission: “Serving those who serve.”