When Stan Adelstein called Xavier University to inquire about bringing an international exhibit on the work of Pope John Paul II in fostering Jewish/Catholic reconciliation to Rapid City, co-director James Buchanan had an understandable question:

"Are there Jews in South Dakota?"

He followed with another:

"Are there Catholics in South Dakota?"

Buchanan smiled Thursday as he recalled his mostly facetious queries. But he also admitted that he was skeptical that such an unusual request by an unknown Jewish man in far-off western South Dakota would result in an trip to such a little-known, sparsely populated region.

Yet Thursday, Buchanan was here with his management engineer at an empty store owned by Adelstein at 629 Main Street, making preparations for the mid-April opening of "A Blessing to One Another: Pope John Paul II and the Jewish People."

Adelstein was smiling, too, as he worked with Buchanan on issues including new carpeting, track lights, a security system, and humidity control.

"This is going to be incredible, really historic," Adelstein said. "When I saw this exhibit in New York, I thought 'What a great thing it would be to have that here in South Dakota.'"

The 1,500-square-foot exhibit will arrive in Rapid City in mid-April in two 53-foot-long semitrailers and fill the space occupied in 2006 by the West River campaign headquarters of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jack Billion. The exhibit will stay into August, using photographs, video footage, documents and artifacts to chronicle the life-long connection between the Jewish people and Pope John Paul II, born Karol Wojtyla on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland.

How did an international exhibit that has so far been displayed and booked in cities like New York and Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles end up coming to western South Dakota?

Pretty simple, Buchanan said: Stan Adelstein.

"It's a very, very unusual venue. It requires a very significant amount (of money) for us to place it," Buchanan said. "When he called, I never thought I'd be flying out to South Dakota."

But Adelstein made a persuasive pitch for the exhibit and followed his words with his money in the form of a $25,000 deposit.

"He Fed-Exed a deposit the next day," Buchanan said. "With everybody else, we have to work to get the money. He sent it the next day."

It'll take more than that to cover the cost of placing the exhibit. The final tab isn't settled, but Buchanan said, "They'll be getting a very, very good deal."

He also said that despite its odd geographic location and demographics, he expects Rapid City to be an exceptionally successful stop on the exhibit's tour. The downtown location in a noted tourist town should attract consistent traffic, he said.

"Who knows? We might get more people through here than in Los Angeles," he said.

The message of the exhibit, although especially meaningful to people of Jewish and Catholic faith, is one that should be pondered by all people, Buchanan said. Pope John Paul II grew up in a country where anti-Semitic feelings were common and prejudice toward Jews virulent. Yet Wojtyla's home and upbringing weren't infected with that suspicion and hate, Buchanan said.

"He wasn't raised in an environment of anti-Semitism. He wasn't raised in an environment where Jews were demonized," Buchanan said. "Rather, they were people. They were friends."

Wojtyla carried that connection to Jewish people with him throughout his life, and brought it to his papacy as John Paul II in ways - both subliminal and strikingly public - that changed the relationship of the Catholic Church with the Jewish people and their religion forever, Buchanan said.

He was the first pope in 2,000 years to enter a synagogue. He was the first to officially visit and open diplomatic relations with the State of Israel. And in a visit there in 2000, just a few years before his death, he publicly apologized for Catholic persecution of Jews and left a note asking forgiveness at the Western Wall.

The pope's work in reconciliation has left an enduring mark on the world that should be instructive to everyone, Buchanan said.

"That's one of the central messages of this exhibit," Buchanan said. "Teach your children well."

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com