Here-ish & Queer-ish: Stories of Queer Jewish California

Join the JCCSF, Keshet, Nice Jewish Boys+, and Sapphic Jewish Social Club for a joyful evening of creativity, and connection. Come for Shabbat, stay for stories, laughter, and live performances celebrating Queer Jewish life right here in California. 

For generations, California, and the Bay Area especially, has been a place to land when you needed somewhere to seek refuge, find your people, reinvent yourself, and build something entirely your own. Together, we’ll explore that legacy and what it really means to find Queer Jewish belonging here today. 

We’ll welcome Shabbat with candles glowing, wine poured, and challah shared, before settling in for featured performers and then opening the mic to you. Poetry, music, comedy, a story that’s been sitting in your heart for years, whatever you’ve got, we want to hear it. Or come as you are, grab a chair, and just listen. 

Whether you come to perform, meet new people, celebrate Shabbat, or simply experience a night of Queer Jewish joy, there’s a place for you here. 

Interested in taking the mic?  

After you register, keep an eye out for your confirmation email, it’ll include a form where you can sign up to perform at the open mic. We’ll follow up to confirm participation!  

Questions about the open mic? Email Lorenn Kassel, JCCSF Public Programs Manager at [email protected].  

What to Expect 

Shabbat rituals to welcome the evening  

Featured performances and a community open mic  

Nosh and drinks  

Space to gather and connect  

All are welcome (21+). No prior Shabbat experience—or story to share—is needed. 

PARTNERS:

Keshet

Nice Jewish Boys+ 

Sapphic Jewish Social Club

Co-sponsored by the Jewish Pride Fund, a giving circle of the Jewish Federation Bay Area