(Courtesy of YIEB) Gabi Katz spoke at the Young Israel of East Brunswick on Dec. 12 about his personal journey, from making aliyah as a lone soldier to joining and fighting with the IDF, to his current role, helping religious lone soldiers draft into the IDF.
Katz, now 25 years old, was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and grew up in Chicago. As a 17-year-old, he traveled to Israel and fell in love with the land, eventually making aliyah in 2018. He attended Yeshivat HaKotel and joined the IDF’s combat engineering 608 unit, specializing in explosives. Following his service, Katz pursued further studies and teaching in Israel, receiving semicha at World Mizrachi and spending a number of years fundraising for Aish.
Once the war with Hamas started, Katz decided to start keeping a personal journal of his experiences for himself, his family and friends. In his writings, he endeavored to connect each day to his Torah learning. In addition, he made it a point to reflect on his day’s events and how it positively or negatively impacted his life.
Katz related his experiences pertaining to Oct. 7. A reservist, during davening in shul that fateful day he was called to the Lebanese border, but first made sure to get a bracha from his rabbi before heading north. He and his unit of just a few soldiers were provided with less than optimal protective vests and helmets. Their task was to protect the northern border while hunkering down in a forest. Katz’s specialty was explosives that he set prior to blowing up buildings and tunnels.
He related that despite the circumstances, he and his men still found joy in singing songs praising Hashem that Oct. 7 day because it was Simchat Torah. Katz and his men spent four and a half months in the north without anyone being injured, BH.
In addition to his time in the north, Katz also spent two months in Gaza, again preparing explosives for the destruction of buildings and tunnels. He told the audience that he and his men were advised that there would be a low expectation for survival, but thankfully, again to Hashem’s benevolence, there were no injuries or loss of life. He credited his survival to all the friends and family who were davening on his behalf, saying Tehillim, baking shallot and doind extra mitzvot.
More recently, Katz was redeployed back to Lebanon where he sustained an injury to his neck from flying shrapnel about two months ago. The shrapnel came dangerously close to his jugular. Katz carries this shrapnel with him in a small plastic tube, which he showed the audience.
Katz continues to work with religious students transitioning to army service and their specific needs while serving. His journal has been published as a book titled “Alone With God.”
