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

June 2026
Healthy Aging

Death Café: A Conversation About Life & Death

Date
Monday, June 8
Time
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Join a warm, open exchange to explore your thoughts and questions about death and dying. We’ll reflect on life’s ...
Arts & Ideas

MATT HAIG – THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN

Date
Monday, June 8
Time
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the global phenomenon The Midnight Library discusses his magical new novel ...
Arts & Ideas

The Doomsday Clock: A Call for Action

Date
Thursday, June 11
Time
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
It’s 85 seconds to midnight and that’s not good for the world. Here’s an expert look at the greatest global ...
Arts & Ideas

Explore Garden Teas: Get Your Sipping Senses Going

Date
Thursday, June 18
Time
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
What makes tea so popular? Settle in for an afternoon learning about growing tea while tasting variations of this ...
Arts & Ideas

Jewish Painters: On the Forefront of Abstract Expressionism

Date
Tuesday, June 23
Time
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Learn about Helen Frankenthaler and other Jewish women and men artists who had a significant impact on this midcentury ...
July 2026
Arts & Ideas

Matinee Movie: Yankee Doodle Dandy

Date
Thursday, July 2
Time
1:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary by enjoying this patriotic classic in state-of-the-art sound and video in the ...
Arts & Ideas

Star Spangled Song & Dance of WWII

Date
Tuesday, July 7
Time
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Appreciate the powerful significance of the topical songs and movie musicals that sustained and uplifted spirits ...
Arts & Ideas

I Hear America Singing: American Opera in the Mid-20th Century

Date
Thursday, July 9
Time
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
American opera came into its own in the mid-1900s. Explore how American composers created a markedly new operatic style.
Arts & Ideas

Early Elvis: Meteoric Rise to Stardom

Date
Thursday, July 16
Time
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Thrill to footage of Elvis’s classics from the '50s that laid the groundwork for him being anointed the King of Rock ...
Arts & Ideas

Vashti to Ginsburg: A Tradition of Jewish Female Resistance

Date
Thursday, July 30
Time
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Discover a powerful lineage of Jewish women who challenged norms, claimed their voices, and redefined what it means to ...

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