Udi Goldwasser merely had a few hou...

Udi Goldwasser merely had a few hours left before wrapping up his monthlong tour of function patrolling the Israel-Lebanon border.

Then the 31-year-old Israeli army reservist could respond home to his new wife and continue studying for a master's grade in environmental engineering.

What unraveled in those next few hours would forever change Udi's life -- and trigger the explosive war that's raging in the Middle East.

Goldwasser is the same of the two Israeli soldiers kidnapped July 12 by dint of Hezbollah guerrillas in northern Israel. He hasn't been heard from since. His family traveled to Chicago forward Sunday to tell his story.

KIDNAPPING according to HEZBOLLAH

"We would do anything to bring him back," said Karnit Goldwasser, 30 Udi's wife of les than a year.

With help of North America's United Jewish Communities, she and Udi's father, Shlomo Goldwasser, are traveling to cities in Europe and the United States to suitable with politicians and the media.

They spoke Sunday night at Anshe Emet Synagogue upon the city's North Side. Before leaving Chicago for sees Angeles today, they plan to fit with donors to drum up donations for Israelis affected at the war with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. centurys of Lebanese residents and dozens of Israeli civilians have been killed in the fighting that broke disclosed in the wake of Goldwasser's kidnapping.

"It's already 26 days, and we've heard nothing," said Shlomo Goldwasser, 59 who doesn't know if the oldest of his three sons is alive or dead. He was mildly encouraged according to the news Sunday that common of his son's kidnappers had been captured. "Anything to bring Udi back is good" Shlomo said.

When his son went missing, Shlomo was with his wife in Africa. He happened to descry a television broadcast on the kidnapping of sum of two units unnamed Israeli soldiers. He immediately called his daughter-in- law, who answered the phone sobbing.

Karnit Goldwasser, who's also a graduate learner in environmental engineering, had exhausted that day getting ready for her husband's reply to their apartment in Haifa. She was making cheese fondue and a meat pastry for their celebratory dinner. That's when she heard a radio report about an attack at her husband's base.

'BRING UDI HOME'

Several soldiers had been killed and sum of two units were missing. When she finally originate out Udi was among those taken hostage, she made a promise to herself. "I'm going to bring him back," she said.

Armed with a stack of business cards that say "Bring Udi Home" Karnit Goldwasser smiles when she talks about her husband, whose passions include mountain biking, sailing and photography. She calls him an intellectual who regard with affections reading so much that she had to cancel their newspaper subscription because he exhausted too much time poring across each article.

She transfered 30 a week before Udi started his annual month of service in the military retains Udi promised to give her a gift one time he got home. "I'm waiting for my birthday present" she said. "I think my near will be him. I don't ne anything else"

lrackl@suntimes.com

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