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Israel-Hamas fighting impacts Mt. Carmel grad

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By Elizabeth Marie Himchak

The war between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip over the past month is more than a passing news story for a local family.

Talya Herring, 20-year-old daughter of Sabre Springs residents Larry and Elissa Herring, lives and works at Aleh Negev, 18 miles from the Gaza border. There, she and other staff members care for the rehabilitative village facility’s 150 residents with severe disabilities, spanning from year-old toddlers to 55-year-old adults.

For the past several weeks, her daily life has included getting herself and the residents — who mostly have the intellectual and emotional intelligence of an infant or small child — into bomb shelters each time a siren signals a rocket attack.

“We have had some rockets fall in Aleh Negev, but (they) only caused window damage and no injuries,” she said. “Most of the rockets heading to us are intercepted by the Iron Dome, but still the remnants fall in Aleh Negev.”

Herring described the past month as “emotionally exhausting” as she hears constant booms from Gaza and sees death and destruction within miles of her home.

“Every move you make, you have to think where would you run when the siren sounds,” she said. “When you’re heading to the shower, waiting for a bus, falling asleep — you just have to be prepared. It’s a psychological constriction. Hamas has shown us that they can shake the freedom that we enjoy in our democracy. ... Even though we are able to carry on and make the most of the situation, (that) doesn’t make it acceptable.”

Many might wonder why Herring is a civilian living in a war zone while many fellow 2012 Mt. Carmel High School graduates are getting ready for their junior year of college. For Herring, it was path she felt compelled to follow as a Jew, which included becoming an Israeli citizen while retaining her American citizenship.

“I chose to become a citizen of Israel because I pictured my future and I didn’t want to live anywhere else in the world,” she said. “My line of thinking is that everyone has a certain impact in the world — voting, working, living in a community. All those things matter to make a society and I just want to move my scope of influence and future family tree to the Jewish country.

“I love the culture here. Israelis are tough people, pushy and manners are different here, but Israelis are also so warm, everyone will go out of their way to help you, to show you the way, to be your family,” she said. “It’s also a very modern country with shopping malls and offices exactly like in America, with an emphasis (on) outdoor activities and families, so it’s very conducive for what lifestyle I want.”

Herring first visited Israel in 2009 with her family. After high school graduation she began studies at Midreshet Moriah, a Jewish learning institute in Jerusalem for nine months. She returned home for the summer before “making aliyah” — becoming an Israeli citizen — and beginning her two-year national service.

It is an option for religious girls excused from army service, she said. While only required to do a year, Herring said most girls do two years. She started at Aleh Negev last August, where she assists in the nursing wing. For her second year, Herring said she plans to be a tour guide in middle schools before beginning her university studies in Israel.

“I knew I wanted to start my life as a citizen in Israel by giving to the people here,” she said. “I wanted to learn Israeli culture and the language, to immerse myself at the same time as doing something that I love. I volunteered a lot in high school with Best Buddies and the Friendship Circle, two programs that paired me up with a friend with special needs.

“I also really wanted to be (at Aleh Negev) because it’s a very underpopulated part of Israel — partly because of the terror from Hamas — that has so much potential to grow,” she said.

“I was inspired to volunteer at Aleh Negev by visiting the campus,” Herring said. “Built in the vision of creating a utopia for someone born with certain difficulties or developed challenges from accidents, Aleh Negev integrates improvement of abilities into every aspect of the small society. I walked around in amazement of the humanity of honoring an individual with the opportunities of choice — whether (it) is what color of shirt to put on or what animal to feed. If a resident ... loves music, then we fuel that passion with as many instruments and CDs as possible. The modernity and unique approach to an improved standard of living for the members of the village inspired me get acquainted and assist a very special population in Israel.”

Herring said her commitment to living in Israel has not wavered during this recent fighting.

“I knew the historical challenges of living in the Middle East,” she said. “I knew that Israel disengaged from the Gaza Strip and the democracy of the Gazans-elected Hamas which states ... their goal is to destroy Israel and everyone living in Israel. That’s a pretty crazy threat for someone growing up in the safety of a nice suburbia in California to take on. But I truly believe that as a Jew, Israel is the place for me to live.”

She explained, “I made the decision to live in Israel during peaceful and non-peaceful times because supporting the country of my nationality is supporting my family’s future security. Israel is still a wonderful place to live even during these hard times. The citizens here unify and the normative giving and national community just strengthens. Israelis are used to defending themselves every few years, so it’s natural here to just keep on living. It inspires me to also keep strong and view the big picture of living here.

“As a liberal, I believe in an indigenous people returning to their land and reviving their culture and language,” Herring said. “As a San Diegan, I recognize the geography of a coastal desert, feeling at home with the trees and weather that exists here. As a woman, I feel confident living in the only country in the Middle East with equality of gender, race and religion. I am proud to live in Israel and serve a country whose goal is to serve its citizens.”

Herring said her new life has been challenging and rewarding. In addition to learning Hebrew, “(my) biggest challenge is to be patient with myself in the process of achieving my goals in my new location. All the changes really add up: new location, culture, language, job, social circle. It’s challenging to be confident with who I was when everything around me is something new to adapt to. Just finding an authentic connection to the residents took a lot of time and patience to understand their personalities.”

As for rewards, Herring said they are “the everyday moments” — a glance of appreciation or smile from a resident — plus the opportunity to know Aleh Negev’s diverse staff, which includes Arabs, Christians, religious Jews, secular Jews, Russians and Ethiopians.

“(We are) the whole spectrum of citizens in Israel working peacefully together, really as a family,” she said. “We do discuss politics and life stories, but it’s always with respect and appreciation for our differences.”

Despite the violence surrounding her, Herring said she is not worried about herself, but others. “I worry for my family members worried for me — that’s the hardest part. I worry for the residents in Aleh Negev when there are sirens and I worry for the soldiers fighting in Gaza. When a siren goes off, I know exactly what to do and being prepared helps me feel confident in such a shaky situation.”

Herring said her choice has been difficult for her parents and her mother wanted her to temporarily return to San Diego when the war started.

“It’s hardest for the parents because I miss them, but since it’s my decision to be here, I draw strength from that and while they miss me and worry about me, they just support me,” she said. “They understand my reasons for living in Israel and they raised me to stand behind Israel. It’s just tough to see their baby leave the house.”

Herring said she has learned to fight instead of flee. “I don’t freeze when needed to run to the bomb shelter, hurrying to push as many residents in wheelchairs as possible. I am capable of living in Israel, which is an accomplishment to show myself and other Diaspora Jews. We have a home that we have to protect.”

For those thinking about following in her footsteps, Herring offers this advice: “Even though you’re doing something very independent, you will be successful by depending on others. Asking for help and advice, seeking training from those with experience, embracing the cultural differences explained by those who were raised in it, and the trailblazers who chose steps similar to your’s will be your light.”

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