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Not everyone is ready to say adios to El Niño.

This weekend, while most Bay Area residents are dreaming about folding their umbrellas, a number of Jews will actually be hoping for rain.

Organizers of Super Sunday, the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation's 17th annual phonathon, believe rainy weather will aid their fund-raising efforts.

"If it rains on Super Sunday, it will make it a lot easier for our volunteer callers to reach people at home," explained Zack Macdonald, JCF staff member and Super Sunday co-director. "We're not looking for a major storm, just a little drizzle and gloom to help keep people inside and by the phone."

The forecast for Sunday is showers.

Come rain or shine, the JCF will be calling on the community Sunday to support critical services for Jews in need. One thousand volunteers will gather throughout the day at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco and the Albert L. Schultz JCC in Palo Alto to phone some 10,000 Jewish households from San Francisco to Sonoma, Marin and the Peninsula.

The money raised will become part of the JCF's annual campaign, which supports more than 60 Jewish agencies and programs in the Bay Area, Israel and elsewhere overseas.

In the past, sunny Super Sundays have made it harder for callers to connect with donors during the day. "Eventually, we would catch up with them. If not during those last evening shifts, then in future telethons," said Macdonald. "But we'd rather not have to call again."

According to campaign director Seth Moskowitz, the goal of the 1998 campaign is set at $21.1 million. The goal of Super Sunday is to raise $1.5 million.

Moskowitz pointed out that this year's Super Sunday goal is actually lower than last year's. The reason, he said, is that Super Sunday is being held late this year and a lot of donors have already made their campaign pledges. "Essentially, this year's Super Sunday is less of a campaign kick-off than a campaign wrap-up," he said.

Noting that the JCF hopes to reach new donors and individuals with pledges still out, San Francisco Super Sunday chair Josh Smith said callers this year will be talking about a variety of concerns in the Jewish community, including promoting Jewish identity at home and fostering religious tolerance in Israel.

"Not only will the money raised on Super Sunday address these concerns, it will also be used for such things as helping to resettle immigrants locally and in Israel, providing elderly with housing and medical care, and aiding impoverished families struggling to survive," he said.

Additionally, Super Sunday dollars will be used for a new federation campaign to help fight hunger in the former Soviet Union. The effort, called the "Fighting Hunger Campaign," provides food for seniors, many of whom are Holocaust survivors with little or no pensions.

During Super Sunday, the largest one-day fund-raising event in the Jewish community, volunteers work in three-hour shifts over a 12-hour period.

In the South Peninsula, Super Sunday chair Morry Katz said one of his goals is to reach out to those who have not donated previously. To that end, the South Peninsula effort has set up a special phone bank for callers to connect with such individuals.

"We're not even going to be asking them for money. We just want to get to know them, find out if their needs in the Jewish community are being met, and let them know what Super Sunday and the federation are all about," he said.

Like their S.F.-based counterparts, organizers of the South Peninsula Super Sunday effort are convinced rainy weather will make it easier for them to reach both donors and potential donors at home.

"In Judaism, rain has always been seen as a good thing. There are endless prayers said for rain. But, regardless of the weather, we hope to make this our best campaign yet," said Smith.

Super Sunday takes place Feb. 1. For information or to make a contribution, call (415) 777-0411 (S.F.) or (650) 494-8444 (Palo Alto). On Sunday, the incoming line for the San Francisco Super Sunday effort will be (415) 447-7214