Minnesota
Minnesota Jewish leaders highlight VP pick Tim Walz's commitment to community, Israel
The “small but mighty” largely liberal Minnesota Jewish community started their work day on Tuesday morning with the highly anticipated news of Vice President Kamala Harris selecting their governor, Tim Walz, as her running mate over runner-up Josh Shapiro, governor of Pennsylvania.
With Shapiro, as the second Jewish Vice Presidential nominee in history, came antisemitic attacks over his support of Israel.
Ethan Roberts, Deputy Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, told The Jerusalem Post that his organization was disturbed by the unfair negativity directed at Gov. Shapiro, who holds the same positions on Israel and antisemitism as Walz.
“I’ve never met Gov. Shapiro, but I know Gov. Walz,” Roberts said. “And it was clear to us that all of this negativity at Gov. Shapiro was that he was the wrong kind of Jew, and we condemn that as being antisemitic.”
Though Roberts said Walz is excellent, bringing to the table six years as governor, 12 years in Congress, 24 years of the National Guard and experience as a teacher.
“I’d like to believe that Governor Walz was selected because of all of the things that he brings to the table, and not because the far left were given a veto over Gov. Shapiro,” Roberts said.
Roberts added he thinks it’s important for people who don’t know a lot about Walz to understand that all of the options that were before Harris, including Walz, were pro-Israel options.
“If anyone thinks that somehow, because Governor Walz was selected and not Governor Shapiro, they got the candidate of the far left or the squad, they didn’t,” Roberts said. “Absolutely not.”
According to Roberts, people were looking at the fact Shapiro was Jewish and the positions he was taking, which he called unacceptable.
“What [JCRC] was trying to say is that Walz has the same position,” Roberts added. “If it’s about the positions, you should be against all of them.”
Beth Kieffer Leonard is a board member of the Jewish Democratic Council of America and is heavily involved in the Minneapolis Jewish community, previously serving as president and campaign chair for the Minneapolis Jewish Federation and serving on The Jewish Agency’s Board of Governors since 2008.
JDCA was quick to endorse Walz after the announcement of his selection broke Tuesday morning.
To Jewish voters across Pennsylvania and beyond who were hoping for Shapiro as the pick, Kieffer Leonard said Democrats want to win, and that’s what the focus should be on.
Walz has an understanding of rural and urban America, two important things Kieffer Leonard said have been missing from the Democratic Party.
“If people understand what’s at stake in this election, it will be obvious that everything that Gov. Walz has done to date is about bringing people together and providing them with opportunities, both as individuals or in whatever group you align with,” Kieffer Leonard said.
She added Democrats have to find the winning ticket and all get behind it, keeping the bigger picture in focus.
Walz’s Record
“Being a proud Minnesotan, it’s hard not to have a dog in the hunt with Gov. Walz, who I’ve been a supporter of for a very long time, including when he was in Congress, and have been proud to be a Minnesotan with him at the helm of our state.”
As an educator, he advocated tremendously Holocaust education, and then as a governor, he mandated legislation requiring Minnesota schools to teach the Holocaust, Kieffer Leonard said to The Post.
From his days as an educator through Congress and to the Governor’s mansion, Kieffer Leonard said Walz has been “steadfast in his support of Israel” and even more so since October 7, as he’s maintained that Israel has a right to defend itself against Hamas.
In Congress, Kieffer Leonard said Walz voted in favor of aid to Israel at every option he had, including voting to provide for Israel’s air defense system, and wanting to expand the strategic partnership between US and Israel.
Locally, Kieffer Leonard said Walz has repeatedly condemned acts of antisemitism around the country and reaffirmed Minnesota’s solidarity with its Jewish friends and neighbors.
Steve Hunegs, executive director of the JCRC, told The Post that Walz has been a “stalwart friend of the Jewish community, the JCRC, and a strong supporter of a robust US-Israel relationship.”
Hunegs noted three JCRC events within the past year or so where Walz showed his support for the Jewish community, starting with the JCRC’s 2023 annual event which honored Holocaust survivor Dora Zaidenweber, whose testimony before the Minnesota House of Representatives helped lead to the mandate of Holocaust education across the state.
Walz then attended JCRC’s vigil on October 9, speaking with “great eloquence” about the need to defend the US-Israel relationship, according to Hunegs, who said Waltz’s line at the vigil about the need for moral clarity in that moment really resonated with people.
Walz also ordered the flags at the Capitol at half-mast after October 7.
“So in that way, he’s been front and center with the community, there at our side,” Hunegs said. “Certainly expressing some of the most important principles with respect to the Jewish community, and Israel and antisemitism.”
Hunegs highlighted Walz for being the first governor in Minnesota’s history to appoint a Jewish member to the state’s Court of Appeals, who later became the senior judge.
He also praised Walz for repeatedly opposing BDS resolutions or petitions calling for the Minnesota State Board of Investment to divest directly or indirectly the state’s pension holdings from Israel.
Hunegs described Walz as a man with Midwestern roots who is also deeply conversed in international relations, understanding that Minnesota and the broader Midwest do not live in isolation.
If the Harris-Walz ticket wins the White House, Hunegs said he expects Walz to approach Israel policy by “expressing himself in a powerful way about the importance of the relationship between the US and Israel.”
DULUTH — Finland was a force this summer at the University of Minnesota’s Ridder Arena in Minneapolis during the
World Junior Summer Showcase,
beating the United States, Canada and Sweden by a combined score of 15-7.
The Finnish national junior team continued its domination at the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Amsoil Arena on Friday night, beating Germany 7-3 in a 2026 World Junior Championship pre-tournament game played before a modest crowd of 650.
Finland also won the bonus 3-on-3 simulated overtime period after the game, scoring with 46.4 seconds left in the five-minute period.
The seven Finnish goals in regulation came from seven different players, with winger Max Westergard, a 2025 fifth-round NHL draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, getting the 3-on-3 goal after scoring an unassisted goal in the third period.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Centers Heikki Ruohonen, Oliver Suvanto and Jasper Kuhta, wingers Joona Saarelainen and Matias Vanhanen and seventh defenseman Lasse Boelius were among the other goalscorers for Finland.
Lenny Boos, Dustin Willhoft and Elias Schneider scored for Germany, which was outshot 29-17. The Germans had just one power play, in the third, compared to Finland’s four.
German goaltender Linus Vieillard made 22 saves while Finland goalie Kim Saarinen, a 2024 third-round pick of the Seattle Kraken, stopped 14 shots.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Finland’s lineup Friday featured 12 NHL draft picks — Germany had three — including Dallas Stars 2024 first-rounder Emil Hemming, Minnesota Wild 2024 fourth-rounder Aron Kiviharju and Montreal Canadiens 2024 third-rounder Aatos Koivu — the son of former NHLer Saku Koivu. Mikko Koivu, the former Wild captain, is Aatos’ uncle.
Ruohonen, a 2024 fourth-rounder of the Flyers, is the lone player on Finland’s roster from the NCAA. He’s a freshman at Harvard.
Finland will play one more pre-tournament game in Duluth at 6 p.m. Tuesday against the United States at Amsoil Arena. The Americans host Germany at 4 p.m. Sunday at Amsoil Arena.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Click on image to read comprehensive coverage of the 2026 World Junior Championship tournament.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
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BREWSTER, Minn. — Lots of hugs were shared, tears were shed and utter shock was witnessed as a rural Minnesota family was surprised with the Best Christmas Ever early Sunday afternoon, Dec. 14.
More than two dozen people caravaned behind a Brewster Fire Truck to deliver gifts to Austin and Stephanie VandeKamp and their 6-year-old daughter, Callee, in Brewster, Minnesota, in Nobles County.
Julie Buntjer / The Globe
“We just came to bring some joy to your life,” said Sue Hagen, one of the local coordinators for the nationwide nonprofit
Best Christmas Ever organization,
which surprises families who have experienced hard times. “Last year, with the loss of Jaelee, none of these gifts we’re bringing to you will ever replace her, but we just thought that your family deserved a little joy this Christmas.”
The Vande Kamps gave birth to their daughter, Jaelee, on Feb. 4, 2024. Shortly thereafter, Jaelee was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, TAPVR (Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return). She spent her first eight months in the cardiovascular intensive care unit at Children’s Minnesota in Minneapolis, where she had 10 surgeries and ultimately required continuous dialysis.
Stephanie didn’t get to hold Jaelee until she was 50 days old, and stayed with Jaelee for much of her hospitalization. When she did come home, Austin would go to the hospital to stay with their youngest daughter.
They were finally able to bring Jaelee home on Sept. 23, 2024. Because she was dependent on respiratory support, someone had to be awake with her 24/7, so Stephanie got very little sleep, family friend Ashley Prins detailed in the nomination letter she sent to Best Christmas Ever.
Julie Buntjer / The Globe
Jaelee died unexpectedly on Dec. 9, 2024, while attending regular follow-up appointments in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Jaelee’s death compounded the loss the family was still feeling from the sudden death of Stephanie’s dad from a heart attack on Easter morning 2022.
“The community just rallies around a family and they don’t even know who it will be,” Hagen said, noting that Bedford Industries, Sanford Worthington and District 518 were among employers who stepped up alongside community members to “help uplift a family.”
Locally, the Best Christmas Ever program is sponsored by the Astrup Family Foundation, owner of Sterling Pharmacy stores, which provides $5,000 toward a life-changing gift for a local family who has fallen on hard times through no fault of their own. Business partners included Worthington Federal Savings Bank and Runnings who, along with Sterling Pharmacy, had giving trees set up at their businesses in recent weeks to accept gifts and monetary donations for the recipients.
The VandeKamps were nominated for the Best Christmas Ever program by family friend Ashley Prins.
“I would love to make this year a joyous season again for them in regards to holidays and I would love to see the three of them be able to get away on a vacation and enjoy their time together as they missed out on so much of that during this life struggle,” Prins wrote in her letter.
Julie Buntjer / The Globe
In addition to a mound of neatly wrapped gifts — most of which were for Callee — the family was presented with a monetary gift of $7,403.07. The local Best Christmas Ever committee will work with the family on how the gift may be used.
“I don’t know what to say,” Austin said after accepting the money.
“Merry Christmas,” replied Chad Nixon, representing Worthington Federal Savings Bank.
Callee opened her largest box, which contained a child-sized recliner just for her, as well as two stuffed animals to match the chair. Stephanie and Austin received Minnesota Twins jerseys reflecting their favorite current Twins players.
Among the people on hand Sunday were last year’s recipients, the Adrian and Melissa Gonzalez family, of Worthington. The Gonzalezes lost their son, Emmitt, to cancer in September 2023.
Hagen also presented the family with over $1,000 in gift cards to local businesses, and noted that donations are still coming in. The Best Christmas Ever committee will meet again with the Vande Kamps after Christmas, she said.
The VandeKamps were completely surprised by the gesture — after admitting a bit of fear as to why a fire truck with lights on and siren blaring pulled into their rural Brewster farmyard.
“I thought right away my barn was on fire, my lambs were running everywhere, then I saw a big wad of cars and I thought, ‘what’?” Austin said.
Julie Buntjer became editor of The Globe in July 2021, after working as a beat reporter at the Worthington newspaper since December 2003. She has a bachelor’s degree in agriculture journalism from South Dakota State University.
So Minnesota: Lego King of Minneapolis builds Minnesota landmarks one brick at a time
Many kids will find Lego sets under the Christmas tree this holiday season, but the popular toy isn’t just for children.
Jeff Esler fell in love with Legos as a child, and that love affair has never ended.
“I am the Lego king of Minneapolis,” Esler said. “So my friends call me.”
A decade ago, Esler immortalized Nye’s Polonaise Room in Legos and posted it on Facebook.
“That one, it kind of went really viral,” Esler said. “I think I got 100,000 shares.”
Esler’s fame grew after he went on to use toy bricks to build mini masterpieces of Minnesota landmarks.
“I did Matt’s, and then I did Gluek’s,” Elser said. “I did the Frank Lloyd Wright gas station in Cloquet. Then, probably the Split Rock Lighthouse. The Grain Belt sign.”
Each project costs from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. They take a ton of bricks and days to build. Esler has sold some models and given others away.
“I do the landmarks, because they click with people,” Esler said.
Esler plans to keep building some of Minnesota’s most recognizable places one brick at a time.
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