Annual Chanukah celebration provides new spin on traditions

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Tradition and symbolism of freedom, peace and hope carry the holiday known as the Festival of Lights.

For Rabbi Mendel Alperowitz of the Chabad Jewish Center of South Dakota, Chanukah has always been a joyous time.

“The best memories I have as a child growing up are of Chanukah, lighting those candles, those colorful candles, spinning that dreidel,” recalled Alperowitz.

The eight-day celebration is observed annually to remember the rededication of the Jewish temple following an important battle between the Assyrian Greeks and the Maccabees. It’s often called the Maccabean Revolt, which took the temple back for the Jewish people, and the word Chanukah means “dedication.”

Every year, the Jewish community of South Dakota holds an event to celebrate together. Notably, the biggest change of this year’s celebration event was the new location to accommodate a growing Jewish community in South Dakota. Last year was hosted at the Empire Mall, but this year was hosted at the South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance.

They were grateful for local leadership who they believed helped to foster the growth of the community and partnering with different faiths. The Chabad Jewish Center of South Dakota brought in Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken to help light the menorah.

“I think it’s very important when we can have events like this just to remember how different we are, but how alike we are at the same time and to be able to come out and just publicly express that we are one Sioux Falls,” TenHaken explained. “I use that term all the time whether it’s our Jewish community, our Muslim community, our Christian community or people who practice no religion at all. We’re all part of one community. We coexist together.”

The menorah was one of many fun touches to this year’s gathering. The gelt drop, where chocolate coins are dropped for children, was done with assistance from Sioux Falls Fire Rescue. The seven-foot menorah itself was made out of Legos by children of the South Dakota Jewish community.

“It was exciting to watch them build it and it’s going to be very exciting to light it this evening,” Alprerowitz said.

For Rabbi Alperowitz, there was an emphasis on creating something for the whole family and involving youth in their longstanding traditions of the Jewish faith.

“Like so much of Judaism, Chanukah is really all about the children,” described Alperowitz. “It’s a time for families and children especially to gather, to learn the traditions, learn the sacred ideas of our heritage and our faith and to keep that going for the next generation. ”

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