I grew up in a small town, distant from Jewish life. I come from an interfaith family; my dad is Irish Methodist and my mother is Ashkenazi Jewish. The only taste of religious observance I got, beyond Christmas and Chanukah, was visiting my cousins in Boca Raton and celebrating Shabbat and the High Holidays.

When I left for college, I knew that I wanted to connect with my Jewish identity and gain a sense of belonging. Every moment at Hillel brought me new friends and new experiences. I have learned so much about myself and my Judaism. Since my first Shabbat dinner at Silverstein Base Hillel, I have been to Israel three times, become the President of Hillel at Loyola, and grown into a confident Jewish adult.

The final step in my journey to Jewish adulthood was my bat mitzvah. It was something I knew I wanted to do for a long time, but I had no idea where to begin. I first approached Rabbi Megan GoldMarche about having my bat mitzvah four years ago.

When COVID hit, I was unsure if I still wanted to have my bat mitzvah this year. Would it still be a meaningful experience even if it were virtual? Ultimately, I decided what was most important was that I was able to share this experience with the community that had been my Jewish home for the past four years. And I am infinitely grateful that I decided to go through with it.

Our class of six met on Zoom to study Torah with Rabbi Megan and Rabbi Nicole Berne, and learned to read Torah and chant trope from Rabbi Ezra Balzer. Our biweekly classes felt like a refuge from the chaos of the current world. We got to spend an hour every two weeks learning together and from one another. The joy these classes brought cemented in my mind the importance of Judaism in my everyday life.

Four years ago, I did not know the aleph-bet, but in May, I read from the Torah in front of my friends and family. The ceremony was a culmination of everything I’ve learned in the past four years, and a beautiful conclusion to my college experience and my time with Hillel. Even more amazing, we were able to have an in-person ceremony-which felt extra special, as I was not able to have an in-person graduation.

Our portion was Bamidbar, which begins with the Israelites wandering in the desert. I felt that this portion was fitting as, for many of us, this past year has felt a bit like wandering in the Sinai. We are aware of what the hoped-for outcome is-the promised land of a COVID-free future-but not one of us has any idea how long it will take to get there. We often say that the Israelites were lost in the wilderness, but this is not exactly true. The Israelites were never truly lost because God was with them, guiding them, the entire time.

Just as the Israelites were never alone, neither are we, so long as we have a strong Jewish community. Metro Chicago Hillel serves as a guiding force for Jewish undergraduate students on their journeys into adulthood and Jewish life. Even in the midst of a pandemic, we were able to foster love and community.

At the end of August, I will embark on the next stage of my journey, leaving for Israel to teach English for ten months on the Masa Israel Teaching Fellowship. No matter how far I wander, Hillel will always feel like home, and will always be in my heart.

Katherine O’Neill is a 2021 graduate of Loyola University-Chicago and will be a MASA Israel Teaching Fellow this year.