Elul begins, the shofar comes out, and a 7:30 AM service sounds like a great idea.
Elul starts Thursday night, which means the High Holidays officially stopped being a someday problem. Friday morning Chevra opens the new month with a musical davening and breakfast, and Friday evening Sherith Israel welcomes Elul with the shofar. In between there's sandwich-making at the JCC, Israeli dancing, Matisse, and a Sunday kitchen shift with the Beth Sholom crew. Good week to actually show up somewhere.
Candle lighting: Friday, August 14 at 7:45 PM
Havdalah: Saturday, August 15 at 8:44 PM
Parashat: Shof'tim
FEATURED POST
Friday, August 14 at 7:30 AM | Chevra Thilim, 751 25th Ave
Tuesday, August 11
Parashat Hashavua with Rabbi Joey Felsen
A relaxed, welcoming weekly Torah class covering the week's parashah. Whether you're a regular or it's your first time, everyone is welcome.
🕗 8:00 PM
📍 Anshey Sfard, 1500 Clement St
🔗 MORE INFO
Judaism 101 at Sha'ar Zahav
Cantor Sharon Bernstein's introductory course covers the Jewish calendar, Shabbat, holidays, rituals, prayer, and the Jewish lifecycle. Great for anyone new to Jewish practice or looking to reconnect.
🕖 7:00–9:00 PM
📍 Zoom
🔗 JOIN AND LEARN MORE
The Lunch Club: Serving Up Tzedek with Repair the World
The JCC's monthly service night. Show up, make sandwiches, meet people, put a small dent in food insecurity. Easy mitzvah, good crowd, free.
🕡 6:30–8:30 PM
📍 JCCSF, 3200 California St
🔗 RSVP
Wednesday, August 12
Parsha In Focus with Rabbi Yaakov Zarchi
A weekly Torah deep dive at Chevra Thilim. Thoughtful, grounded, and a great midweek reset.
🕖 7:00–8:00 PM
📍 Chevra Thilim, 751 25th Ave
🔗 MORE INFO
Rikud By The Bay: Young Adults August
Monthly Israeli dance night for 18 to 40, no experience needed. Social hour first, then basic steps, then circles, lines, and partners until 10. $18 solo, $30 if you bring someone.
🕖 7:00–10:00 PM
📍 Address upon RSVP
🔗 RSVP
Thursday, August 13: Erev Rosh Chodesh Elul
Henri Matisse: The Decade That Shook the Art World
How Matisse and the Fauves detonated the Paris Salon and rewrote the rules on color. An hour well spent.
🕐 1:00–2:00 PM
📍 JCCSF, 3200 California St
🔗 GET TICKETS
Friday, August 14: Rosh Chodesh Elul
Musical Rosh Chodesh Davening at Chevra ⭐
Start the new month the right way. Chevra opens Elul with a musical davening, the first shofar blasts of the season, and breakfast after. Yes, it's 7:30 in the morning. Yes, it's worth it.
🕢 7:30 AM
📍 Chevra Thilim, 751 25th Ave
🔗 MORE INFO
The Shofar's Call: Welcoming Elul
Sherith Israel brings in the new month with a shofar gathering right before Shabbat. Short, warm, and a nice way to land into the weekend.
🕔 5:00–5:45 PM
📍 Congregation Sherith Israel, 2266 California St
🔗 MORE INFO
Community Shabbats
The city is full of tables on Friday night, and most of them would be glad to have you. So many incredible communities around SF, so go out, explore, and see what resonates!
Saturday, August 15
Community Kiddushes
Shabbat Shof'tim, first Shabbat of Elul. Services and kiddush luncheons abound across the city, from the Richmond to SoMa. Find a shul, stay for kiddush, and eat something. You earned it.
Sunday, August 16
Chicken Soupers at Beth Sholom
Cook, pack, or deliver Kosher meals with Beth Sholom and JFCS. Three shifts to choose from, pick whichever one your Sunday can handle.
🕘 9:00 AM, 2:30 PM, or 3:30 PM
📍 Congregation Beth Sholom, 301 14th Ave
🔗 SIGN UP
Keep An Eye On 👀
Rikud By The Bay Israeli Dance at the JCC (Tuesday, August 18) The JCC's own Israeli folk dance night with choreographer Tovael Hagai. All levels. 6:45–9:45 PM.
🔗 MORE INFO
Boom Boom's Comedy Showcase (Wednesday, August 19) Adam Swig and Value Culture bring the city's longest-running monthly comedy showcase back to the Fillmore. No cover, dance party after. Doors 7:00 PM, show 7:30 PM.
🔗 MORE INFO
Tea & Thinking with Eli Amsellem (Thursday, August 20) Anshey Sfard young professionals, Moroccan tea and cookies, and an interactive Machshava class on searching for truth as the High Holidays approach. Drinks at a nearby bar after. Free. 7:30 PM.
🔗 RSVP
Holiday Prep 🍯
Elul is here, so here's your running list of things to handle before the chagim sneak up on you.
Order your Lulav and Etrog. Chabad SF is taking orders now. Place yours before September 10th and your set will be ready a few days before Sukkot. 🔗 ORDER HERE
RSVP for High Holidays services and meals. Chabad SF's High Holidays mini site is live with services and meals across the city. 🔗 RSVP HERE
Shofar Shout-Out at the JCC. Every Wednesday during Elul, drop by the atrium at 9:30 AM for the blasts that wake up the soul. Starts August 19. 🔗 MORE INFO
Beth Sholom's full Elul lineup. Tuesday night niggunim, Wednesday inner-work sessions with Rabbi Richman, and High Holy Days 101 on August 20. 🔗 FULL SCHEDULE
This list will continue to be updated.
Know about an event I missed?
Reply to this email or send it to [email protected].
And if someone forwarded this to you, send it to a Jewish friend who should be in the loop.