Lone Soldier & Krav Maga Instructor

At the age of nineteen, Leibel Mangel left his home and family in Cincinnati, Ohio to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces as a lone soldier. As the son of a Rabbi and the grandson of one of the youngest survivors of Auschwitz – serving in the IDF was not a matter of if, but rather when? Leibel served as a machine gunner in the Kfir Brigade, where he took part in numerous high profile anti-terror operations including the tragic discovery of the bodies of Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Fraenkel, and Eyal Yifrah who were kidnapped from Gush Etzion in 2014. Leibel uses his experiences to continue his service by fighting for Israel in both mainstream and social media and on campuses throughout the United States.

Leibel passes the skills learned in the IDF – to civilians as the head instructor of Cincinnati Krav Maga, so they too can learn to protect and defend themselves and their loved ones. Leibel is also the recipient of a 2017 Jewish People’s Choice Award.