2023-10-10 02:40:00
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The attacks on Israel prompted passionate responses from those with ties to the country. We spoke with Rabbi Mendel Alperowitz with the Jewish Center of South Dakota, who compared the attack over the weekend to the holocaust.
”Quite frankly I couldn’t sleep last night. I could barely sleep any of these past few days. Just the images and the thoughts,” Alperowitz said, “When I see these pictures of children being killed and dragged away from their parents, I think of my own children. I have an 8-year-old, a 7-year-old, a 3-year-old, and a 6-month-old child. For those terrorists, it doesn’t matter who it is. A Jew is a Jew and they’re after me the same where they’re after them.”
Rabbi Alperowitz was celebrating the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah on Saturday and was unaware of the violence unfolding until someone knocked on his door.
”When we open up the news and we see what’s happening today, we’re just shaken to the core by the amount of murder that there is,” Alperowitz said.
As more becomes known about the nature of these attacks, the only comparison Alperowitz can draw is to the historic events of more than 80 years ago.
“Absolutely devastating. Horrific,” Alperowitz said. “The scale of this massacre and pogrom is some that the Jewish people have not experienced since the holocaust.”
Israel’s counterattacks have been swift and forceful.
”It’s not about giving them a few months of quiet,” Alperowitz said. “This is about taking out Hamas completely. Hamas cannot exist anymore for Israel to be safe. All those people who have stood up against the Jewish people are now footnotes in the ashbin of history. They’re no longer here. The Jewish people will persevere, we will survive, we will thrive and the people of Israel will be victorious.”
Over the weekend we saw South Dakota leaders on all fronts show their support for Israel.
”Strong statements from our senators, from our congressman, from our governor, from the mayor, from the chief of police in Sioux Falls, offering their protection and their support, and that’s really something that we have to remember and appreciate,” Alperowitz said.
Alperowitz says any and all forms of support are necessary right now.
”We’re not standing on the front lines in Israel, and we’re not able to physically defend our brothers and sisters, but we can pray for them,” Alperowitz said. “We can support them and we can have them in our hearts and minds constantly.”
Alperowitz says there are gatherings to remember the lost and to stand in solidarity with Israel that are being organized.
We’ll bring you those details once they’re made available.
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