“Most people don’t know I’m Jewish. My friends know but not many of my coworkers or acquaintances. It's not something I talk about a lot. I wear my star, but people don’t recognize it like they do a cross. Someone said to me one day, ‘What is that you’re wearing?’ I grew up in St. Louis County. There were four Jewish kids in my graduating class, so I didn’t know a bunch of Jewish people. When I was a kid we went to synagogue until my parents got divorced. I was 11. After that, I think it was easier for both of them not to go. I never got bat mitzvahed and part of me thought for years that’s why I didn’t have a relationship with my Jewish faith. When I moved to St. Charles, I assumed there were no Jewish people out here. But after my son was born, I wanted to reconnect so I could pass something on to him. I found out about Rabbi Chaim and Bassy and then I started going to Chabad’s ‘Mommy and Me’ get-togethers. I sort of thought I was alone out here, but then realized I’m not.”

📷| Colleen O’Connell Smyth