By Jacob Kamaras in La Jolla, California
When Odelia Isti graduated from high school in southern California, her future seemed headed down a familiar path. A strong student from Huntington Beach in Orange County, she had been accepted into prestigious pre-med programs at both UCLA and Stern College in New York. But despite those opportunities, something did not feel right.
“I realized I couldn’t picture my future in the United States,” she said.
Today, instead of attending medical school in Los Angeles or Manhattan, Isti is living in Jerusalem, speaking fluent Hebrew, and studying nursing at the Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT), where she plans to continue on to medical school in Israel after graduation.
Originally from Huntington Beach, Isti was graduated from the Hebrew Academy of Orange County. After high school, she spent two years studying at Michlelet Mevaseret Yeushalayim (MMY), a Jerusalem-based seminary program for American young women. What began as a temporary educational experience quickly became something much deeper.
“I completely fell in love with Israel,” she said. “I knew at some point I was going to make Aliyah.”
Following her seminary studies, Isti returned to the U.S. and began weighing her options. While she had earned admission to respected pre-med programs, she increasingly felt that her long-term future belonged in Israel.
Part of that decision, she says, stemmed from growing concerns about antisemitism and the broader direction of Jewish life outside Israel.
“I have family in France, and we saw what happened there,” she said. “I felt like antisemitism was eventually going to become a much bigger issue in the United States too. I started thinking that if I didn’t make Aliyah now, maybe my children would eventually have to. So why not do it myself?”
Determined to build her life in Israel, Isti made Aliyah (immigrated) and enrolled at JCT in the fall of 2023. Although Israel’s admissions requirements made it difficult for her to immediately pursue a traditional pre-medical track, she remained committed to a career in healthcare and found a path that aligned with her goals.
She enrolled in the Selma Jelinek School of Nursing at JCT’s Tal Campus for Women, while also joining the college’s supplementary pre-med track—a program designed to prepare students for eventual admission into Israeli medical schools.
Her long-term plan is ambitious but clear: complete her bachelor’s degree in nursing, take Israel’s equivalent of the MCAT, and enroll in medical school in Israel in 2027.
“I knew I wanted to stay in healthcare no matter what,” she said. “Nursing gave me a meaningful and practical way to enter the field while still working toward medicine.”
At JCT, she found more than just an academic program. She found a community and environment that reflected her values.
“A lot of my friends were studying there already, and the nursing program has an excellent reputation,” she said. “I was looking for a place where I could get a top-tier education while still being in a religious environment. JCT was exactly that.”
The Selma Jelinek School of Nursing consistently ranks as one of Israel’s leading nursing schools, receiving the Israeli Health Ministry’s National Prize for Excellence. Known for its demanding academic standards and intensive coursework, students often spend long days in lectures, labs, and practical training, all conducted in Hebrew.
“The program is definitely challenging,” Isti said. “There are very focused, concentrated eight-hour days, and you really have to stay disciplined to succeed.”
Still, she credits the rigor of the program with preparing students exceptionally well for their careers. JCT’s nursing students consistently achieve outstanding results on Israel’s national nursing certification exams.
“They have very high expectations, but they also have a 100 percent success rate on the nursing exam,” she said.
This semester, Isti is beginning her clinical rotations, an important milestone in her training. Next spring, she is expected to graduate with her nursing degree before continuing toward medical school.
Outside the classroom, Isti has become deeply involved in helping fellow olim students navigate life in Israel. Living in the dormitories on JCT’s Tal Campus, she serves as a mentor within the school’s English-Speaking Program, assisting students with academic, administrative, and technical challenges as they adapt to Israeli society and higher education.
Her journey has unfolded during one of the most difficult periods in modern Israeli history. Since the October 7 Hamas attacks and the ensuing war, students across the country have faced enormous emotional strain and uncertainty.
“Everyone is traumatized in some way,” Isti said. “But at the same time, Israel is incredibly resilient. People continue moving forward.”
Despite the challenges, she says her commitment to Israel has only deepened.
For Isti, Aliyah was never simply about geography. It was about identity, purpose, and building a future connected to the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
Now, nearly three years after first enrolling at JCT, she says she has no regrets.
“I’ve really loved my time (at JCT),” she said. “JCT gave me the opportunity to pursue a serious education in a place that matches my values and beliefs. I’m studying fully in Hebrew now, which can still be difficult sometimes, but it’s going well. I truly feel like I’m building my future here and contributing to the country.”
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Jacob Kamaras, a former publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World, is now the executive director of J Cubed Communications.