Highlighting: “Alone with God” by Gabi Katz. Mosaic Press. 2024. 376 pages. ISBN: 978-1-961602-26-7.

An interview with Gabi Katz about his book chronicling life as a lone soldier in the IDF.

Gabi’s book, “Alone with God,” has taken off as one of the most popular books that I know of in the past few years. Hundreds of people, from young men and women contemplating IDF service to grandparents looking to understand the experiences of their grandchildren, have bought copies and joined Gabi on his 18 month journey serving in the army as a lone soldier. One individual was so inspired that he bought as many copies as he could and distributed them to people he thinks can grow from its inspiring messages.

Gabi tells it as it is — the meaningful and the challenging — with divrei Torah and reflections on one’s relationship with Hashem, Zionism and the Jewish People threaded throughout. In addition to the front-row seat the book affords to Gabi’s army experience, it also serves as a window into living with emunah, serving the Jewish People, and sharing your life with Hashem.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Gabi to discuss his life, his experiences and this powerful book, and am sharing the interview with you as we end the week commemorating Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’Atzmaut.

Tell us a bit about your background.

I was born in South Africa and grew up in Chicago in a Modern Orthodox community. I attended schools that valued Torah, Zionism and modernity. Bnei Akiva and NCSY were staples in my education, whether on Shabbatot or summers. After high school, I attended Yeshivat Hakotel, where I was able to not just strengthen my values but to live by my values.

How would you summarize your book?

My book takes a unique approach of bringing the reader into the boots of a religious lone soldier in the IDF, giving a no-filter and no-fluff exposure to the highs and lows of army service. In addition, it also highlights living with Hashem through the ups and downs of a challenging and meaningful part of a person’s life. To quote a reader: “The army is just a way to tell the story of how to deal with life and its challenges. It wraps into it the emunah within you and how that helps you navigate everyday life and how to create a positive perspective on how to live your life.”

What inspired you to write “Alone with God?”

During my army service, I decided to journal pretty much every day and send it out to family and friends. At the end, when I had over 500 days written, I decided I wanted to create a book for myself. When I returned to yeshiva as a madrich after my service, I found myself giving advice to so many guys who were interested in being drafted. I would use my journals as a means to show guys what the army was really like and to inspire them. It became very popular and helped many, many people, causing me to realize that if I published them as a book, it could spread among other yeshiva bachurim and inspire them too.

My safta passed away 50 days into my army service, but within the first week of her reading my journals, she wrote to me: “I can’t begin to tell you how amazing it was to read it! You should continue to do so because maybe, be’ezrat Hashem, one day your diary can help a lot of yeshiva bachurim like yourself…”

What is one major misconception you’ve found people hold about this topic?

That the army has enough soldiers. The truth is that the army needs more soldiers. It is a known statistic in the army that the greatest group of soldiers are the ones coming from hesder yeshivot (religious soldiers). The most motivated individual soldier is the lone soldier. With both of these together, the religious lone soldier drafting with his yeshiva tremendously adds to the morale of his group and to the group’s productivity.

Who would gain the most from reading “Alone with God?”

Anyone looking to view life more positively and strengthen their relationship with God. It can also be very helpful for someone considering being drafted into the army and looking to get a better picture of the experience.

If you write another book, what will the topic be?

A second book is currently in the making! It’s the same concept of the daily journal entry, but this time it records 200+ days of reserve duty in Gaza and in Lebanon during the current war.

Did you encounter any challenges while writing this book? How did you overcome them?

I encountered so many challenges!

To start off, reading and writing are not my strong suits. I had a lot of help from some friends who helped me decide which parts of my journal should go into the book. In addition, the Mosaica Press team did a phenomenal job putting it all together. Still, any writer knows how hard it is to cut something, but it had to be done.

Raising over $20,000 to get the book published was also not an easy task. Through a lot of hishtadlut and a lot of siyata d’shmaya, I received a tremendous amount of support from many family and friends.

What suggestions do you have for an aspiring writer?

If you believe your book will inspire others, then Hashem will help you along your way. If you had told me 10years ago that I would be an author writing about my journey in the Israeli army and inspiring hundreds, if not thousands, of people, I would’ve laughed in your face. Hashem has His plans, and if you think something is right to do and you put your hishtadlut in and it works out, then it was meant to happen.

What do you do now?

I teach and run programming for Yeshivat Torah V’Avodah, where I have found my passion in helping religious lone soldiers both prepare for their service and excel in their holy work of protecting Am Yisrael in the Jewish homeland.

In addition to teaching, I volunteer for reserve duty, where I strive to set an example for my talmidim.

When I get the chance, I also speak in shuls and schools in communities around the world sharing my experiences throughout my service as well as stories of emunah and bitachon from the current war in Israel.

Link to order: https://mosaicapress.com/product/alone-with-god/