People of all faiths gather in Sioux Falls to remember victims killed in synagogue shooting

It was a somber day in Sioux Falls as people of all faiths gathered to remember the 11 lives lost in last weekend’s deadly Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. Support, unity, and hope was the message at Sunday's remembrance service, as the grief of that deadly shooting in Pittsburgh was felt across the country.

“Anytime a Jewish person is hurt, anytime an attack happens at a synagogue, it’s really our synagogue. It’s my synagogue and it’s very hard to believe that such thing can happen here in the United States,” Sioux Falls Rabbi Mendel Alperowitz said.

The Jewish community isn’t alone.

“Nobody ever thinks of waking up one day and seeing all these people slaughtered. It was shocking,” Islamic Center of Sioux Falls member Ismael Mulamba said.

Ismael Mulamba is a member of the Islamic Center in Sioux Falls. He said Muslims and Jews have a long history of working together to protect one another.

“Once something happens in the Jewish community, we have to come and stand strong,” Mulamba said.

He said the way people worship God shouldn’t divide them, it should unite them because under God we are all one.

“No matter how you worship him, God is one and God is love. They were worshiping God. If it happened to them we are also vulnerable,” Mulamba said

Rabbi Alperowitz said knowing that there are people out there that want to hurt you for your religion is hard.

“It’s not going to stop me from being a Jew. It’s not going to stop me from living as a proud Jew. Say no to anti-Semitism, no to hate, and yes to a good bright future for all people,” Alperowitz said.

Alperowitz said he hopes they never have to see something like this happen again and people can gather together, not because of a tragedy, but for good things.