Young Adult Programming
You’re invited to our programs and events tailor-made for the Young Adult Community (20s & 30s) and our mid 30s & 40s group. Please check back often as we update this page with new events regularly.
Want to become a member of Congregation Emanu-El? Join or renew your Emanu-El membership at any time!
Questions about our Young Adult Community? Questions about our mid 30s & 40s community? Contact Terry Kraus.
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Programming is open to all who are 21 or older.
Pre-Late Shabbat Meditation
Friday, December 14
7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Come relax into Shabbat with Congregation Emanu-El’s young adult meditation group from 7:30-8:30 pm right before Late Shabbat! Join us for a short guided meditation and a chance to connect and engage in a mindful discussion afterwards. We’ll meet in the chapel at Congregation Emanu-El and all head to Late Shabbat together at the conclusion of the meditation + discussion.
Desiree Matloob will lead the session, and has been meditating regularly since 2008. She has engaged in a variety of meditation practices, from 10-day silent Vipassana meditation retreats and 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) courses, to Jewish mindfulness retreats in Israel/the Bay Area and Zen meditation groups in the city. She’s excited to share the wisdom of meditation practice with the Young Adult Community at Congregation Emanu-El.
RSVP on Facebook
December Late Shabbat 
Friday, December 14
Welcome Reception, 8:00 pm
Late Shabbat Service, 8:30 pm
Late Shabbat is always on the second Friday of the month at Congregation Emanu-El
You are warmly invited to experience one of the most popular young Jewish events in the Bay Area. Come as you are, in casual attire, no registration necessary! Accompany hundreds of young adults for a contemporary Shabbat service led by members of our clergy! The Shababt service is followed by an oneg featuring schmoozing, snacks and spirits.
Come early to mingle and meet new people before the service for our intimate wine and cheese Welcome Reception at 8:00 pm.
RSVP on Facebook
A Night of Jewish Stand Up Comedy
“M.O.T. Laughs”
(with MC, Rabbi Sydney Mintz)
Congregation Emanu-El
Thursday, November 15
Doors open at 7 pm (as does the no-host bar)
Show at 7:30 pm
Enjoy established and emerging super-funny Jewish comedians for a night of laughter. This night showcases diverse backgrounds, personalities, perspectives, and talents.
Price: $15 (online in advance; advance registration closes on November 15 at noon); $20 at the door
This event is appropriate for guests 21+
Performing comedians:
Jeff Applebaum
A native New Yorker, Jeff made his national TV debut on CBS as a comedian on the “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.” He has also appeared on Comics Unleashed, ABC-TV, America’s Got Talent on NBC and opened for and performed with comic legends Robert Klein, Mort Sahl, Robin Williams, Dana Carvey, Elayne Boosler, and more. He’s also a frequent guest on KGO Radio, AM810 in San Francisco, CA
Jeff plays the role of Joey Bishop in “The Rat Pack Tribute” and is also credited and appears in the blockbuster film“The Pursuit of Happyness,” starring Will Smith. Jeff is also active in the business and hi-tech worlds, using his two engineering degrees from MIT. www.jeffapplebaum.com
Bryce Druzin
Fresh out of college, Bay Area native Bryce Druzin did what most aspiring comedians do: move to Idaho and spend a year telling jokes at open mics in hookah bars for crowds of disgruntled teenagers. Eager to perform in less smoke-filled venues, Bryce returned home, where his fearless jokes on religion, race and politics make him a favorite of most audiences – but have been known to stick in the craw of some. http://brycedruzin.com
Joe Nguyen
Subtle but sharp, laid-back yet engaging, Joe Nguyen is the smart slacker beloved by audiences for his easygoing delivery and good writing. Raised in the state of Georgia by immigrants of Vietnamese and Jewish descent, Joe was destined to become a stand-up comedian. At home in all venues from clubs to cafes, Joe is a regular at the Punch Line and other Bay Area clubs as well as a member of local group Nightlife on Mars. http://vietjew.com
DNA
DNA has opened for Janeane Garofalo, Margaret Cho, Moshe Kasher and a million comedians you haven’t heard of, yet. The creator of the Chico Comedy Festival, The Santa Cruz Comedy Festival and a BOD member of Comedy Day in Robin Williams Meadow in Golden Gate Park, keeps DNA busy fulfilling his personal mission of building community through laughter. DNA will be opening his own comedy venue, DNA’s Comedy Lab, in Santa Cruz in 2019. DNA loves Judaism but is not a fan of circumcision. https://twitter.com/votedna
Access Shabbat: Wine’d Down
Private Residence provided upon registration
Friday, Nov 16, 2018
7:30 – 9:30 pm
Are you looking to connect with others in your 20’s and 30’s? Do you love wine tasting? Join us for Access Shabbat for a chance to wind down on Friday night during this Shabbat and try different wines throughout the evening. Dinner will be catered!
December 6
7:00 – 11:00 pm
620 Jones Street, San Francisco
Join us for our fifth annual ‘crazy’ night of Chanukah at 620 Jones! Come schmooze with Bay Area Jews, eat sufganiot, spin the dreidel, and light the chanukiah in private bar space.
Ticket Pricing – the first 50 tickets sold will be $10, the next 100 tickets will be $15.00, and all remaining tickets will be $20.00 (including tickets at the door). Congregation Emanu-El members can always purchase tickets for $10 through the temple website.
All online ticket sales close the evening of Monday, December 3rd.
As has happened in past years, this event will sell out so make sure to buy your ticket early for guaranteed entry! We look forward to seeing you at 620 Jones for our crazy Chanukah night!
-YALC at Congregation Emanu-El
*Please note this is a 21+ event and you will be carded at the door. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. Dress code: Festive
Non-members can purchase their tickets via Eventbrite here.
Chuppah and Beyond
Maintaining Intimacy: Lessons from Successful Marriages
This program happens twice a year, stay tuned for our next dates
Six consecutive Wednesdays, 7:15 – 9:15 pm
Are you an engaged or newly married couple? Then this series is meant for you. The Chuppah and Beyond program will help you build and strengthen the foundational tools for a successful, happy lifelong relationship, while simultaneously building a community with other couples. Emanu-El clergy co-facilitate each class along with Sharon Epel, LMFT, a San Francisco-based psychotherapist and couples counselor. Topics covered include:
- Assessing the challenges of communication
- Managing conflict and staying connected
- Financial Planning and differing approaches to money
- Maintaining intimacy, friendship, and commitment
- Lessons from a successful marriage
Please email Ariana Estoque if you have any questions or join the waitlist here!
Front Porch: A Special Opportunity for Members of Emanu-El
Are you looking to take a deep dive and really build meaningful relationships with other young adults in our community? We invite you to join Front Porch.
Through this innovative program we are matching young adults in groups and providing short videos and discussion materials to guide the relationship building. We want the groups to get together for six home hosted sessions over the course of six months. We have a box of materials for each group with all of the supplies you will need—video links, session agendas, handouts and discussion questions. The six topics are: sacred space, sacred time, social justice, money, legacy, and community. Check out this video to learn more.
Want to join a group with other young adults? Fill out this interest form in our online portal.
UPCOMING EVENTS
A Night of Jewish Stand Up Comedy - November 2018
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm | A Night of Jewish Stand Up Comedy emceed by…
Pre-Oneg (MMR)
5:30 pm - 6:00 pm |
EIN Noe Valley Pop-Up Shabbat
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm | Noe Valley Emanu-El members: Enjoy a Noe Valley Pop-Up…