DN Marketing Material_final.pptx

THE TWIN CITIES
MINNEAPOLIS & ST. PAUL
JEWISH LIFE AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
ABOUT THE TWIN CITIES
About the Twin Cities
•  Twin Cities Metro Area Population: 3.5 million (2014)
•  Twin Cities Population Rank: 16th in the nation (immediately behind Seattle
and immediately ahead of San Diego)
•  Arts Scene: The Twin Cities have more theater seats per capita than any other
American city except New York (~100 theater groups and 30 performance
venues in Minneapolis alone)
•  Mill City Roots: Pillsbury and General Mills began in downtown Minneapolis in
the late 1800s as competing companies on opposite banks of the Mississippi
River
•  Minnesota Lakes: Over 11,000 lakes in the state of Minnesota with 90,000 miles
of shore line
About St. Louis Park
St. Louis Park is an attractively located first-ring suburb of Minneapolis. The suburb
provides easy and convenient access to many of Minneapolis’ most popular attractions: the
Chain of Lakes, Uptown and Downtown, the theater district and more.
A few fast facts on St. Louis Park:
•  The city has approximately 750 acres of park land, including multiple lakes, wetlands
and golf courses.
•  The Midtown Greenway and the Cedar Lake Trail, two dedicated, well-paved bike paths,
connect St. Louis Park to Uptown and Downtown Minneapolis.
•  The city features an organic waste composting program. The city takes care of pickup
of the waste, composts it, and makes available the resulting nutrient-rich black dirt.
•  The St. Louis Park Rec Center features two full-size indoor hockey rinks and an
extensive outdoor aquatic park.
•  St. Louis Park was named one of the nation’s Top 100 Best Places to Live in 2015,
according to Livability.com.
•  St. Louis Park High School was ranked at #290 on Newsweek’s 2012 list of the top 1,500
high schools in America. The school offers Hebrew as a foreign language course.
JEWISH LIFE
Jewish Life – Fast Facts
•  Twin Cities Jewish Population: Over 40,000
•  Jewish Population in St Louis Park: Over 1,500
•  Twin Cities Jewish Congregations: 18
•  4 Orthodox
•  4 Conservative
•  10 Reform / Other
•  Minneapolis / St Louis Park Eruv Size: ~1 square mile
•  Mikvah Facilities in St Louis Park: 2 (including a dedicated facility for women)
•  Famous St Louis Park Jews:
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Thomas Friedman – Columnist for New York Times
Al Franken – Saturday Night Live Comedian and 2008, 2014 US Senator
Coen Brothers – Film Directors of Raising Arizona, Fargo and the Big Lebowski
Marc Trestman – Former head coach of the Chicago Bears
Jewish Life – Community Eruv
•  The Minneapolis / St. Louis Park eruv
has an area of approximately one
square mile.
•  Congregation Darchei Noam
(highlighted in green on the map) is
housed in a new building nearly in the
center of the eruv.
•  Two other Orthodox congregations are
located inside the eruv – Kenesseth
Israel and Bais Yisroel.
•  A conservative congregation (Beth El)
and Orthodox day school (Torah
Academy) are also located inside the
eruv. A JCC and community day school
(HMJDS) are within walking distance of
the eruv.
•  The eruv includes three playgrounds
that are popular destinations on
Shabbat.
Jewish Life – Day Schools
•  Multidenominational community day
school, grades K-8
•  Approximately 250 students
•  Housed on the same campus as the JCC
•  Orthodox, Torah Umesorah day school,
grades preK-8
•  Approximately 220 students
•  Winner of 2004 “School of the Year” award,
National Society of Hebrew Day Schools
•  Separate girls and boys classes starting in
second grade
Additional Jewish Schools
•  Bais Yaakov High School of the Twin Cities
•  Yeshiva of Minneapolis
•  Talmud Torah of Minneapolis
•  Yachad
Jewish Life – Adult Education
•  Minneapolis Community Kollel
•  Eight to ten full-time kollel members, focused on community outreach
•  Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Chaim Gibber
•  Aish Hatorah Minneapolis
•  A variety of Jewish learning programs and social events for the greater Twin Cities community
•  Rabbi David and Mrs. Gitti Fredman coordinate programming
•  Chabad of Minneapolis and St. Paul
•  Variety of programs throughout the year
•  St. Paul Bais Chana is recognized as one of the finest post-graduate schools for Jewish women
returning to Judaism
•  Jewish Institute of Lifelong Learning
•  Six week mini-courses for adults
•  Run in the Sabes JCC and partners with the University of Minnesota and several local
synagogues
•  Melton mini-school program also run at the JCC
Jewish Life – Kosher Eats
Prime Deli
•  Upscale meat restaurant featuring
American, Israeli and traditional fare
•  Set in a newly renovated storefront
with indoor and outdoor seating
•  Conveniently located just across the
street from Darchei Noam
Vitali’s Bistro
•  Dairy café known for its baked goods,
crepes, and coffee drinks
•  Located near the southwest corner of
the eruv
Jewish Life – Kosher Eats
Kosher food outlets
•  Byerly’s: Full grocery with kosher deli,
takeout, sushi, and a large selection of meat
and other products
•  The Kosher Spot: Corner grocery in the
eruv stocking hard-to-find items and frozen
goods
Kosher meat and other products also readily
available in St. Louis Park at:
•  Costco
•  Cub Foods
•  Trader Joe’s
•  SuperTarget
•  Sam’s Club
•  Whole Foods
Baked goods
•  Breadsmith Bakery: upscale bakery
chain with challot, pastries and other
pareve baked goods
•  Bogart’s Doughnut Co.: Local
doughnut shop that features seasonal
sufganiyot
•  Byerly’s: Supermarket has a kosher
bakery with fresh challah, cakes,
cookies, muffins, etc.
Jewish Life – Community Organizations
Sabes Jewish Community Center
Minneapolis Jewish Federation
•  The Minneapolis JCC has over 195,000 square
•  The Minneapolis Jewish Federation
feet and more than 6,000 members.
•  It has a full workout facility, including an indoor
and outdoor pool, four basketball courts, and
regular fitness classes.
•  The JCC is committed to engaging with the
community through arts programming, social
groups, and creating opportunities for the
community’s senior citizens.
•  St. Paul also has a JCC and members can
enjoy amenities at both facilities.
supports more than 50 partner agencies
locally, nationally and internationally.
•  Distributed nearly $13 million in 2013.
•  The Federation’s vision is to create
community of shared responsibility,
engage the next generation in Jewish
life, strengthen connections to Israel and
deepen the commitment to Jewish
philanthropy.
Other Community Organizations
•  Jewish Family and Children’s Services
•  National Council of Jewish Women
•  Jewish Community Relations Council
•  Minnesota Rabbinical Association
•  Jewish Community Action
•  TC Jewfolk (tcjewfolk.com)
BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Twin Cities Business Scene
There are 17 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the Twin Cities. The Twin Cities are
also home to many of the country’s largest financial services companies and medical
device manufacturers. Here are just some of the well-known corporations based here:
Public and Private Universities
University of Minnesota
Additional Universities
•  Main campus abuts downtown Minneapolis
•  Augsburg College
•  Fourth largest student body in the United
•  College of St Catherine
•  States (~50,000 students)
•  Numerous programs ranked in the top
•  Concordia University
twenty including:
•  Hamline University
•  Chemical Engineering (1)
•  Metropolitan State University
•  Classics (4)
•  Minneapolis College of Art and Design
•  Psychology (7)
•  North Central University
•  Mechanical Engineering (8)
•  Economics (10)
•  University of St. Thomas
•  Aerospace Engineering (12)
•  Civil Engineering (13)
•  Political Science (13)
•  Statistics (13)
•  Mathematics (14)
•  Biomedical Engineering (17)
Outside the Twin Cities
•  Macalester College (St. Paul)
•  Carleton College (Northfield)
•  St. Olaf College (Northfield)
ARTS AND
ENTERTAINMENT
Theater and Music
•  The Guthrie, in Minneapolis’ renovated Mill District, is
a nationally acclaimed center for theater productions,
education and professional training.
•  The Downtown Hennepin Avenue Theater District
features three 1,000+ seat theaters: The Orpheum,
Pantages and the State Theater.
•  St. Paul features the Fitzgerald Theater, home of
The Guthrie, Minneapolis
Garrison Keillor and the Prairie Home Companion, as
well as the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts.
•  The Twin Cities also offer a number of theater
experiences geared towards youth, such as the
multiple discipline offerings at the Children’s Theatre
Company and Stages Theater.
•  The Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra
plays at the newly renovated Orchestra Hall in
downtown Minneapolis, and St. Paul houses the
renowned St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
The Ordway, St. Paul
Museums
•  Minneapolis and St. Paul are home to many museums
featuring the arts, sciences, history and more.
•  The Minneapolis Institute of Arts hosts the largest art
collection in Minnesota, with works by Rembrandt,
Degas, Goya, Matisse, van Gogh and many more.
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
•  Minneapolis’ Walker Art Center features modern art
galleries and a free, outdoor sculpture garden.
•  The Weisman Art Museum on the University of
Minnesota campus was designed by Frank Gehry and
highlights early twentieth-century American artists,
such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Marsden Hartley.
•  The Science Museum of Minnesota, located in St.
Weisman Art Museum, U of M
Paul, has an iMax Omnitheater and attracts national
travelling exhibits.
•  Local favorite Mill City Museum brings to life the
history of Minneapolis as a grain milling town.
•  Other notable museums: Minnesota History Center,
Museum of Russian Art, The Bakken (museum of
electricity and magentism), Bell Museum of Natural
History, American Swedish Institute.
Mill City Museum, Minneapolis
Sports
•  Minnesota has a local team in all of the major
professional sports: football, baseball, basketball,
and hockey. The University of Minnesota has a
strong athletics program in the Big 10, and Minnesota
was recently awarded an expansion MLS franchise.
•  NFL: Vikings
•  MLB: Twins (World Series winners 1987, 1991)
•  NBA: Timberwolves
•  WNBA: Lynx (League champions 2011, 2013)
•  NHL: Wild
•  NCAA: Golden Gophers
•  MLS: TBD
•  Minor League Baseball: St. Paul Saints
The Great Outdoors
•  Minneapolis is the City of Lakes, home to five major lakes
within the city limits: Cedar Lake, Lake Calhoun, Lake
Harriet, Lake of the Isles, and Lake Nokomis (Cedar is only
half a mile from Darchei Noam). Canoe, kayak and paddle
boards are available for rent.
•  Minnehaha Park, located within Minneapolis proper, is a
167-acre park featuring Minnehaha Creek, including a 53foot waterfall. The park attracts close to a million visitors
per year.
•  The Twin Cities are annually ranked among the top two
View of downtown Minneapolis over Lake Calhoun
best cities for bike trails in the United States.
•  Minnesota is home to hundreds of golf courses and
numerous camp grounds.
•  The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern
Minnesota is well known for its serene camping, hiking and
fishing.
•  The Mississippi River’s source is Lake Itasca in northern
Minnesota, and Minnesota’s third largest city, Duluth, sits
on Lake Superior (the largest lake on the continent).
•  The metropolitan area features two zoos, the Minnesota
Sunset in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Zoo and the Como Zoo.
A Great Place to Raise a Family!
Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park at Mall of America
Skiing at Buck Hill, childhood course of Olympian Lindsey Vonn
The Twin Cities are a great place to raise a family, with
many top-notch children’s attractions:
•  Two zoos: the Minnesota Zoo and the Como Zoo.
•  Excellent museums with programming oriented to kids:
Children’s Museum, Science Museum, Bakken Museum,
Bell Museum of Natural History, a monthly “Family Day”
at the Minneapolis Institute for the Arts.
•  Snow tubing, sledding, skiing and ice-skating widely
available during the winter months. Swimming in the
lakes, and at the St. Louis Park Rec Center, and the
Water Park of America, in the summer.
•  Two full-scale amusement parks: Valley Fair and
Nickelodeon Universe. Nickelodeon is an indoor park at
the center of the Mall of America.
•  St. Louis Park’s Westwood Nature Center, with year
round events and programming.
•  Family-friendly outdoor movie screenings, concerts and
performances throughout the summer.
•  Family-friendly festivals throughout the year, notably the
Flint Hills International Children’s Festival, the Saint Paul
Winter Carnival, the Minneapolis Aquatennial, numerous
art fairs, and many more!
•  The Minnesota State Fair, affectionately known as the
Great Minnesota Get-Together, is the best-attended state
fair in the US, drawing ~150,000 visitors a day. The Fair
features rides, animals, shows, concerts, and more!