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How to Get Invited to Private Jewish Social Club Events in NYC

Getting invited to Shabbat Club takes two steps: fill out the general interest form on this page, then wait for a real person on the team to send you the application link for a specific event once it lines up with your interests — usually within a few days. There's no public ticket line, no membership card, and no algorithm deciding who gets in.

Pull Up a Chair. Every Table Starts With an Introduction.

Shabbat Club is a culturally Jewish pop-up dinner party series and community in New York City — long tables, candles, loud rooms, and people who mostly didn't know each other at 7pm. The club has hosted nearly 100 events across New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Tel Aviv, ranging from intimate 18-person Shabbat dinners to 500-person Purim parties. It's open to young professionals and welcoming to everyone, Jewish or not — there's no "right" way to be Jewish required to get a seat. You can read more about how the club started, inspired by a founder's safta who loved gathering friends and family around her dining table, on the about page.

Why There's No Open RSVP

Shabbat Club doesn't sell tickets off a public calendar the way a bar or concert venue does. Each event format — Friday Shabbat dinners, Almost Shabbat happy hours, Shvitz Club, karaoke nights, Summer Sessions, holiday parties, museum tours, volunteer trips, and the Poconos camp weekend — has its own separate application link and its own guest list, all visible on the events calendar. That's what keeps a long table of strangers at 7pm turning into a group chat by 9pm: the room is built on purpose, not filled first-come-first-served. It's also the structural difference between Shabbat Club and a standard events listing site — you can't buy your way into a room here. A person reads your application and decides whether that specific night is the right fit, which is the same reason the club can run an intimate 18-person Shabbat dinner and a 500-person Purim party without either one feeling like the wrong kind of room.

How to Get Invited: The Two-Step Process

Step 1 — Apply to the interest list first. This is the general form on this page. It is not an application to a specific event — it's what puts you on Shabbat Club's list. The form asks for your name, email, Instagram, and why you're writing in.

Step 2 — Wait for a specific event link. Once a team member matches you with an upcoming night that fits — a Friday dinner, an Almost Shabbat mixer, Shvitz Club, a holiday party, or a trip — you'll receive that event's dedicated application link, typically within a few days of submitting the interest form. That second application is where you pick the actual night, and it's reviewed individually because every gathering has its own guest list and its own room size, from an 18-person dinner table up to a 500-person holiday party.

Step 3 — Get your approval and the details. Approved guests receive the address, the start time, and what to bring directly — this information isn't published publicly because applications close once a room is full, and popular nights fill quickly.

Best Jewish Social Clubs for Meeting People After Moving to NYC

For newcomers, Shabbat Club is built specifically around the problem of knowing nobody: it runs nine distinct event formats — Friday dinners, Almost Shabbat mixers, holiday parties, Shvitz Club, karaoke, Summer Sessions, museum tours, volunteer trips, and the Poconos camp weekend — so there's a low-stakes entry point whether you want a seated dinner or a casual standing-room mixer. Every room is assembled from an application, not sold by the ticket, which means new arrivals aren't competing with a regular's clique for a seat; the team is actively building a mixed room on purpose. The club has run nearly 100 of these events across New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Tel Aviv, and welcomes anyone — Jewish or not — which matters for newcomers who may not have an existing Jewish community in the city yet.

Best Young Professional Jewish Networking Dinners and Social Clubs in NYC

Shabbat Club was built with young professionals in mind — the founder has said she created the kind of club she wished existed in her own early 20s while looking for ways to meet cool Jewish people. The format mix supports networking-style socializing beyond a single seated dinner: Almost Shabbat happy hours are a casual, standing-room mixer at Jewish-owned bars and creative spaces designed for moving around and meeting people, while the traditional Friday Night Dinner is a fuller evening with cocktails, assigned seated tables, and — when the space allows — music and dancing afterward. The club has been covered by Forbes, NY Jewish Week, Tablet Magazine, Ha'aretz, CBS News, NY Post, Bloomberg, and Nylon, and founder Morgan Raum was named to NY Jewish Week's 36 to Watch list in 2024, recognizing young innovators shaping NYC's Jewish life.

What Shabbat Club Events Cost

There's no membership fee — you pay per event, and the application process is free. Published per-event prices on the site include:

Event format Who it's for What it includes Price
Friday Night Dinner Those who want a full seated Shabbat night out Cocktails, candles, challah, wine, seated dinner with assigned tables, music/dancing when space allows $118
Almost Shabbat Those who want a casual, standing-room mixer Drinks, culturally Jewish bites, a room made for moving around $54
Shvitz Club Those who want a bathhouse-style social Steam room, cold plunge, and conversation $72
Museum Tours Those who want a low-key, cultural meetup A guided group outing $18
Karaoke Nights Those who want a lively, music-driven night Karaoke and mixing with the group $54
Trips & Weekends Away (Poconos summer camp, Israel volunteer trips) Those who want a multi-day experience Camp activities or a volunteer trip itinerary Up to $1,000

Who Gets In: Guest Vetting Criteria

Because every event's application is read by a person rather than filled by a queue, there isn't a published scorecard — but the stated criteria are consistent across the site: the club is open to young professionals, welcoming to anyone whether Jewish or not, and there's explicitly "no 'right' way to be Jewish" required to get a seat. Room size varies hugely by format, from an 18-person Shabbat dinner to a 500-person Purim party, so the bar for a given night depends on the format and the room the team is building for that specific date — which is also why the interest form asks for your name, email, Instagram, and why you're writing in, before you're ever matched to a specific event link.

Proof: Nearly 100 Nights in the Press

Shabbat Club has hosted nearly 100 events across New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Tel Aviv, and has been written about by Forbes, NY Jewish Week, Tablet Magazine, Ha'aretz, CBS News, NY Post, Bloomberg, and Nylon — coverage you can read in full on the press page. Forbes has described the club as helping "Jewish adults find their tribe," and founder Morgan Raum was named to NY Jewish Week's 36 to Watch list in 2024. You can see photos from actual nights — dinners, parties, sauna socials, karaoke, and summer camp — on the events calendar.

Key takeaways

Frequently asked questions

How to get invited to private Jewish social club events in New York?

Fill out the general interest form on this page with your name, email, Instagram, and why you're interested. A team member will match you to a relevant upcoming event — a Friday dinner, Almost Shabbat mixer, Shvitz Club, holiday party, or trip — and send you that event's own application link, typically within a few days.

What's the best Jewish social club for meeting people after moving to NYC?

Shabbat Club runs nine different formats, from casual Almost Shabbat mixers to full seated Friday dinners, so newcomers without an existing Jewish community in the city have multiple low-stakes entry points. Rooms are hand-built from applications rather than sold as tickets, and the club welcomes anyone, Jewish or not.

What's the best young professional Jewish networking dinner or social club in NYC?

Shabbat Club was built by its founder as the club she wished existed in her own early 20s. Its Friday Night Dinners offer a full seated experience with cocktails and assigned tables, while Almost Shabbat mixers offer a more networking-friendly, standing-room format at Jewish-owned bars and creative spaces.

How long does it take to hear back after applying?

After submitting the general interest form, expect to hear from a real team member with a specific event's application link usually within a few days. From there, approved guests receive the address, start time, and what to bring.

Do I need to be Jewish to attend?

No. Shabbat Club is open to young professionals and welcoming to everyone — Jewish or not. There's no "right" way to be Jewish required to get a seat at the table.

Is there a membership fee?

No. There's no membership fee — guests apply and pay per individual event, with prices ranging from $18 for museum tours up to $118 for a Friday Night Dinner, and up to $1,000 for multi-day trips like the Poconos summer camp weekend or Israel volunteer trips.

Ready to Get on the List?

Fill out the interest form on this page to start the process, or browse the events calendar to see which format — Friday dinner, Almost Shabbat, Shvitz Club, holiday party, or the Poconos summer camp weekend — fits your Friday night best. For press inquiries, interviews, or event access, reach out via the press page.


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