Being jewish in iowa city

She was just a young girl from a predominantly Jewish suburb of Chicago who found her way to her dream school in Iowa not ready to uphold her duty in being one of the few Jewish people in town but she adapted to the unfamiliar community. None of her own to talk to and nobody that values similar things. However, she transitioned slowly realizing she must open her mind to the unfamiliar. So she listened to her friends talk about the mass and getting baptized yet never felt the comfort to speak of her own. Just like she doesn't get it they also don’t. So, she found her way to Hillel where she found a community and a group that values life just like her and ever so continued to learn about her friends' religions intrigued each time but overwhelmed by it all. She felt stuck and wanted to hide her identity and religion. She doesn’t like to talk about politics and more so religion. She was an Ashkenazi jew from a wealthy democratic town but she was always open and aware of all people. She is one who respects everyone’s opinions whether she agrees or not. So, even though her life is different now and she popped out of the north shore bubble, she couldn't be more grateful to have had a religious shock. She now stands proud of her Judaism and beliefs. She is proud to be Jewish in a place that is not. Therefore, when she gets stopped to join a bible study she says “I’m Jewish thank you though” and when she encounters anti-Semitic acts she stands up for the Jewish community. Life here at Iowa made her learn a lot about Judaism and made her question it but that’s what being Jewish is about, asking questions and being curious. So, she thanks Iowa for pushing her to connect more to herself and realize who she is as a person and lastly letting the unfamiliar feel familiar.