sunday/10
Biblical Botany Brunch. TorahFlora lecture about Jewish history, botany and biblical foods, plus tastings. At Congregation Beth Israel Judea, 625 Brotherhood Way, S.F. 10:30 a.m. $9-$22. www.bij.org. End of Summer Sunday BBQ. Afternoon of activities featuring a DJ, swimming, bounce house, climbing wall, plus barbecue and drinks for purchase. At Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free, but RSVP suggested. www.paloaltojcc.org.
monday/11
Urban Adamah tour. TorahFlora-guided Jewish history and crops tour. At Urban Adamah, 1050 Parker St., Berkeley. 5:30 p.m. $5-$10. www.urbanadamah.org.
tuesday/12
Botanical garden tour. TorahFlora biblical and talmudic botany walking tour. At San Francisco Botanical Garden, Golden Gate Park. Meet at Ninth Avenue entrance at 10:30 a.m. $10 tour fee, free for children under 12. www.torahflora.org/events.
“Noah’s Wine vs. Pharaoh’s Beer.” TorahFlora’s Jon Greenberg discusses ancient culture clashes between drinkers of beer and wine (both of which will be available during the event). At Peninsula Sinai Congregation, 499 Boothbay Ave., Foster City. 7:15 p.m. Free. www.torahflora.org/events.
wednesday/13 & 20
Monologist ready to dialogue. Unhappy with the current discourse about the situation in Israel, Bay Area performance artist Josh Kornbluth seeks to buck the trend with “Overwhelmed by Argument: The Conversation I Want to Have Now.” Kornbluth will lead a 90-minute discussion on two evenings, seeking “more hope, more dignity, more love.” 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13 and 20 at Congregation Netivot Shalom, 1316 University Ave., Berkeley. $20. Registration required; contact Daniel at [email protected].
friday/15
Neshama women’s weekend retreat. Meet other women, learn more about Judaism and partake in outdoor activities in the Santa Cruz Mountains. At Redwood Glen Conference Center, 100 Wright Drive, Loma Mar. Through Aug. 17. Prices vary. www.etzchayim.org/events.
sunday/17
Israel trip presentation. Information session on 2015 Israel community trip sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the East Bay. At Congregation B’nai Shalom, 74 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek. 4 p.m. Free. www.bshalom.org.
Jewish Heritage Tour. Motorized cable car tour of San Francisco’s historical Jewish sites and synagogues, hosted by Rabbi Moshe Langer. Starts at the corner of Geary and Powell streets, Union Square.10:55 am. $22-$30. www.mitzvahcablecar.org.
Genealogical meeting. Experts from the S.F. Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society will provide information and suggestions to those looking to learn more about their family history. Light kosher refreshments. At Oakland FamilySearch Library, 4766 Lincoln Ave., Oakland. 1 p.m. Free. www.jewishgen.org/sfbajgs.
monday/18
“Depictions of Women in Yiddish Writing.” First session in four-week discussion group focusing on female characters in the works of Rachel Korn, Sholem Aleichem, Yente Serdatsky and I.B. Singer. At JCC Sonoma County, 1301 Farmers Lane, Santa Rosa. 2 p.m. Free. www.jccsoco.org/classes.
wednesday/20
“Helping Our Aging Community Live Safely.” Experts from Jewish Family and Children’s Services will host presentation on elder abuse, including how to identify potential abuse and what to do about it. At Congregation Shomrei Torah, 2600 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. 12 p.m. Free. (707) 578-5519.
thursday/21
“Jews for Dim Sum.” “Project Mah Jongg” event led by artist Imin Yeh and pastry chef Leah Rosenberg. Participants can enjoy retro-themed snacks and build a paper mah jongg set. At Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission St., S.F. 6 p.m. Included with $5 museum admission. www.thecjm.org.