Talks & Conversations

Ages 18+

At the JCCSF, we’re always on a quest for something intangible but ever-so valuable: ideas! Through Talks & Conversations, we bring together thought leaders, entertainers, authors, and innovators to spark meaningful dialogue and inspire curiosity. As a community, sharing thoughts and ideas is part of our core mission. Fresh dialogue fuels our sense of discovery. And it brings us even closer together.

To keep the ideas coming and the conversations going, we bring you thought leaders, entertainers, authors and innovators.

Whether in panel discussions, intimate chats or virtual workshops, these distinguished guests offer diverse perspectives and windows into other cultures and mindsets.

Over the years, we’ve welcomed many luminaries to our stage. Some are well known. Others are rising stars and ones to watch. All are making an impact and elevating our sense of purpose.

Schedule

September 2025
Arts & Ideas

BRUNCH WITH RUSS & DAUGHTERS – 100 YEARS OF APPETIZING

Date
Sunday, September 7
Time
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Bagels, babka, and a side of storytelling: celebrate a century of appetizing with Russ & Daughters’ Niki Russ Federman ...
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$100 (Includes Brunch & Book)
Arts & Ideas

The Three Stooges: Clown Princes of Jewish Slapstick Comedy

Date
Wednesday, September 10
Time
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Revisit the escapades of these unforgettable funsters who defined slapstick comedy with yuks, gags, and mishaps in close ...
Arts & Ideas

DAN PELOSI & JUANITA MORE! – LET'S PARTY

Date
Wednesday, September 10
Time
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Come for the conversation, stay for the stories – and maybe leave with a new favorite recipe or two.
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$47 (Includes Book)
Arts & Ideas

SONIA DACCARETT & CHANAN TIGAY – THE ROOTS OF THE GUAVA TREE

Date
Thursday, September 18
Time
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Step into a world where cultures intertwine, borders blur, and identity defies simple definitions through a memoir by ...
Arts & Ideas

George Gershwin & Duke Ellington: Two Shades of Blue

Date
Thursday, September 25
Time
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Explore the fascinating parallel careers of Gershwin and Ellington, two 20th-Century musical geniuses.
Arts & Ideas

MELISSA KING - COOK LIKE A KING

Date
Tuesday, September 30
Time
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
The Top Chef winner serves up bold flavors and personal stories in a heartfelt celebration of heritage, identity and ...
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$52 (Includes Book)
October 2025
Arts & Ideas

STEVEN PINKER – WHEN EVERYONE KNOWS THAT EVERYONE KNOWS

Date
Thursday, October 9
Time
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
The celebrated cognitive scientist invites us to understand the ways we try to get into each other’s heads and the ...
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$50 (Includes Book)
Arts & Ideas

DORIE GREENSPAN & KATE LEAHY – ANYTIME CAKES

Date
Tuesday, October 21
Time
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Simple, satisfying, and always worth it – get inspired to bake with the best.
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$47. (Includes Book)
Healthy Aging

Parisian Jazz & African American Expats: Standouts of 1920 - 40

Date
Thursday, October 23
Time
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Discover how French jazz emerged when black American musicians’ arrival in Paris sparked a revolution hinged on the ...
November 2025
Arts & Ideas

IRA GLASS & ETGAR KERET

Date
Sunday, November 2
Time
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
The This American Life host and renowned Israeli author present a live performance of their shared podcast, Half-Baked ...

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