SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO AM) South Dakota's first rabbi got a baptism by wind when he and his family flew into Sioux Falls Christmas night.
Rabbi Mendal Alperlowitz says it took the pilot three tries to land in the midst of the high wind.
"We actually did have a safe landing as the entire plane erupted into a tremendous round of applause for the pilot and the crew," says Rabbi Alperlowitz.
Alperlowitz, his wife, and two children are relocating to Sioux Falls from New York City, a completely different place in more ways than just weather. But the relative smallness has its advantages. The rabbi talks about how Jewish sages teach that each individual is an entire world. It is easier to see that in Sioux Falls, than in a big city.
"You really get a better understanding of that teaching that each individual is an entire world. You see the purpose and the meaning and ultimate potential that each individual has," Alperlowitz tells KELO Radio News.
The rabbi is a member of the Orthodox branch of Judaism and will direct the Chabad Center in Sioux Falls. He will help shepherd South Dakota's tiny Jewish population of only about 1,000 souls.
Alperlowitz will help conduct a very special event for the fifth night of Hanukkah. A 6-foot tall menorah will be lit during a community wide celebration Wednesday at the Washington Pavilion at 5 p.m. Everyone is welcome to enjoy the ceremony and all the holiday food. Mayor Mike Huether will be there.
