Among famous native sons and daughters of the SLC community is comedienne Rosanne Barr. There are four Jewish afternoon schools in SLC, one in Ogden. The University of Utah offers a Bet Hillel and a Jewish Studies Department. The community, represented by the United Jewish Federation of Utah, has absorbed resettled Russian Jews, and has two Batei Din, fraternal and youth organizations, chevra kadisha and a mikva. FOR those to whom gastronomic Judaism is important, community members state that passable bagels are now available, as is Jewish rye bread, and in certain bakeries, one can find hamantashen at Purim and flourless cakes at Pesach.
Some supermarkets have small kosher sections, at least one carries frozen kosher poultry and meat.
Both Kol Ami and Beis Menachem order kosher meat and other items regularly for their members. Fresh and smoked fish is available, and there is at least one vegetarian Chinese restaurant among SLC's many great ethnic eateries. THE Mormons established a provisional State of Deseret in 1849, and asked Washington, DC, for self-governance. Instead, Congress created the Territory of Utah in 1850. Temple Square is the heart of the city.