Jewish Journal   July 29, 2004  Q & A With Yuval Rotem
Ambassador Yuval Rotem finishes a five-year term in Los Angeles.
Photo by Dan Kacvinski   Consul General -- now Ambassador --
Yuval Rotem arrived as a 39-year-old career diplomat in Los
Angeles in September 1999, with his wife, Miri, and their three
children. He will return to Jerusalem Aug. 16, leaving behind
hundreds of friends who consider him one of the most popular and
effective envoys to have represented his country in Southern
California, the Southwestern United States and Hawaii. The
Jewish Journal met with Rotem in his office for a farewell
interview.  Jewish Journal: What will you miss most about Los
Angeles?  Yuval Rotem: Our monthly shopping trip to Costco --
there's nothing more American. I'll miss the games at Staples
Center. That's the only place I turned off my cell phone to get
completely away from everything. Also, taking the car and the
family and going from Santa Monica to downtown, to see all the
changes of faces and signs. And, of