San Diego had his dream job and great weather, but Israel had his heart
By Donald H. Harrison

SAN DIEGO—At 24, Avi Yesawich (at right) had what others might consider everything going for him. He had a home he shared with good friends in the Mission Beach area. He had a job in advertising and public relations, the field he had studied at Cornell University. He also had done well on the LSAT exams to possibly enter law school.

He also was building a social life through Congregation Beth El, and "loved the weather, the people, the beaches—San Diego is paradise."

By the time you read this, however, he will be in Israel, one of that country's newest immigrants. He will begin studying Hebrew in an ulpan at Kibbutz Na'an, near Rehovot, and afterwards enlist in the Israeli Army. After that, maybe, he will study to become an attorney in Israel, or perhaps continue in the marketing field.

Why did he sell off his car, furniture, and "a majority" of his things in San Diego to go to Israel with the Nefesh b' Nefesh (Soul to Soul)program?

"As much as I love San Diego, my heart is in Israel," he responded.

That love affair began with Operation Birthright, which provides Jews in their late teens and early 20s with a free trip to Israel if they haven't been there before. Since then,Yesawich returned to Israel several times, the last time only two months ago during the Yom Ha'atzma'ut when Israel celebrated its 60th anniversary.

"When I am there, I don't want to leave," he said. "I decided that I needed to come back." So he went to the Jewish Agency in Jerusalem to learn more about making aliyah, and after returning to the United States contacted the Nefesh b' Nefesh organization, which encourages and aids immigration by North Americans. "They make it so easy to get through the process without losing your mind," he said.

What is it about the process that drives people crazy? I asked during a phone interview while he was counting down the hours for his chartered El Al flight to Israel from New York. "You have to fill out a myriad of forms, and there is all this waiting time," he responded. The waiting prompts people to worry about such questions as "Will I be processed? Do I need more forms? Do I have all the health documents in order? The Nefesh b' Nefesh program really helped me navigate it all."

Before leaving for Israel, Yesawich had one final all-American bash—a July 4th weekend goodbye party for which his mother traveled to San Diego from Chicago and his brother from Denver to attend. "We had a traditional big family meal, a big barbecue, and went to the beach," he said. "Mom got a little teary eyed, but everyone was really supportive."

Yesawich said that he will be able to retain his American citizenship even after becoming an Israeli, and said he plans to be "an honest, loyal and dependable citizen of the two countries that I love. The fact that I can share between the two countries means a lot to me. As a Jew, it seems natural being there, where I can live a Jewish life style."