A historic ceremony was held on Aug. 12 in Sioux Falls when a diverse group of community members, religious leaders and public officials broke ground on the Chabad Jewish Community Center, a first-of-its-kind project in the state of South Dakota, said to be a “vibrant hub of Jewish life.”
On a 2.3-acre parcel of land at 1221 W. 85th St., attendees came in droves, many having to park multiple blocks away from the groundbreaking site.
The future 15,000-square-foot community center will include a synagogue and mikva, social hall, commercial Kosher kitchen, community room, early childhood education center, adult and youth classrooms, a space for children with special needs, Judaic and children’s libraries, lounge, ritual women’s mikva (ritual bath), office spaces, an outdoor playground and an indoor play area.
Rabbi Mendel Alperowitz said the construction, with contractor Reynolds Construction Management (RCM) Services, of Sioux Falls, will begin sometime this fall and will take 12 to 18 months to complete.
The Sioux Falls Chabad Jewish Community Center is said to be “the first and only facility of its kind” in the state, as well as the region, according to the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, whose Chair-elect Clark Meyer, of Knife River, commenced the groundbreaking event.
“Our team promotes Sioux Falls as a place where quality, life and quality of community is outstanding, meaning that we offer positive experiences, not just physical, but also socially and culturally,” Meyer said. “We value the cultures of people that make our city vibrant, and with that, it’s truly special to see a space like this, the new communities that are being celebrated here today.”
Alperowitz, the first full-time rabbi in South Dakota in nearly 30 years since he and his family moved from New York in 2017, said in an Aug. 11 email to the Argus Leader, that the groundbreaking “marks the beginning of a long-envisioned project that will serve as a vibrant hub for Jewish life, education and community in the state.”
During the ceremony, Alperowitz expressed the significance of the Sioux Falls Chabad Jewish Community Center as a place that welcomes and brings people together, “standing as a lighthouse” for the next century and beyond.
Rendering of the Sioux Falls Chabad Jewish Community Center, located at 1221 W. 85th St., South Dakota’s first Jewish community center. The new Center will include a synagogue, educational and community spaces, a kosher kitchen and South Dakota’s first-ever mikvah.
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“Today, we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and we are planting the seeds for generations to come…who will be able to contribute to the fabric of Sioux Falls professionally, socially, educationally and philanthropically as a result of having this Chabad Jewish Community Center,” Alperowitz said.
‘A beacon of hope’
South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden was one of several state and national political figures to address the sizeable crowd during the afternoon’s occasion, recounting his business-driven trade mission trip to Israel earlier this summer.
“That trip connected me to the country of Israel, into the Jewish faith,” Rhoden said. “I’d like to commend Rabbi Mendel and his wife Mussie. …Your heart of service is phenomenal.”
In a later interview with media, Rhoden stated how South Dakota has become a “beacon of hope” for the nation when it comes to freedom.
“I say many times without reservation that South Dakota is the freest state in the nation,” Rhoden said. “We’re setting an example for a nation during a time when anti-Semitism is running rampant…We think about things differently in South Dakota.”
U.S. Sen. John Thune returned to Sioux Falls to take part in the celebration and offer support for the endeavor.
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“Projects like this one demonstrate the values of a community and a commitment to putting those values into action, to serving others, to making a real difference in people’s lives,” he said. “That’s exactly what this new community center is designed to do.”
U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson also congratulated project leaders, commending the values and principles of the Jewish faith that “many in the world tried to break.”
“This community center is not only a community center for Jewish people, these are the principles and the values that will make us all stronger, that will let us all live a more just and a more verdant life,” Johnson said.
Mayor Paul TenHaken praised Alperowitz’s leadership in the Sioux Falls community.
“I appreciate all you’ve done to bring this city together through what are quite divisive times, and I think the testament to that is how many people are here today to support this.”
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds also shared his support of the Chabad Jewish Community Center on social media after meeting with Mendel and Mussie Alperowitz and Stephen and Carol Rosenthal earlier this month.
Stephen Rosenthal, a member of the Chabad board, also highlighted the significance of the afternoon’s event, especially “in today’s social climate.”
“In my lifetime, I have never witnessed a moment of such promise for our Jewish community,” Rosenthal said. “This moment declares loud and clear that the Jewish community is welcome here. We are embraced. We are woven into the very fabric of this set of this city and this state.”
Steve Schwartz, vice president of sales and marketing at Gage Brothers and Chabad building committee member said the new community center would be an opportunity for others to learn about the Jewish faith.
“We are one world,” Schwarz stated.
Adam Bergman, the founder of IRA Financial, also stated his support for the new community center.
“You made this house of prayer be a light, not only for the Jewish Community, but for the entire Community, a place where faith is nurtured, friendships are strengthened and the bonds between us grow even stronger,” Bergman said.
PREMIER Bankcard CEO and Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Chair, Miles Beacom, was also in attendance. He stated how the Chabad Jewish Community Center is a significant asset to the community of Sioux Falls.
“It doesn’t matter, business or faith, we want people to come in and continue to help our community be the best that it can be,” Beacon said. “It’s amazing when you look back over the years with that type of growth, how strong Sioux Falls is today, and it’s continuing to get stronger every single day.”
Mendal Alperowitz said the Chabad Jewish Community Center will “help put Sioux Falls further on the map” as a welcoming and “forward-looking city”, and expressed how grateful he is for the community’s support.
“The support we’ve received from across the community, especially the business community, has been incredibly heartwarming. When I speak to colleagues around the country, it makes me realize again just how unmatched Sioux Falls is,” Mendel Alperowitz said. “This project shows that no one should ever bet against Sioux Falls or South Dakota.”
Vanessa Carlson Bender is the real estate and development reporter for the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. Reach her at vbender@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: SD’s new Jewish center will be a ‘lighthouse’ for unity, leaders say
