How to Get Invited to Private Jewish Social Club Events in NYC
Apply now: Summer Camp Weekend in the Poconos, Sept 4–6th. Apply
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 first, then wait for a real person on the team to send you the application link for a specific event once it lines up with you — 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. This page explains exactly how the invitation process works, so you know what to expect before you fill out a single form.
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:
- Name
- Why you're writing (join the community list, work with us / partnership, host or offer a venue, volunteer night or trip, etc.)
There's no field that asks for a "plus-one" or group count, but the "why you're writing" field is where you can mention you're applying alongside friends — the team reads every note by hand before matching it to a room.
Step 2 — Get matched to a live event link. Once a format lines up with what you wrote (a Friday dinner, Almost Shabbat, Shvitz Club, a holiday party, or a trip), a real person sends the specific application for that night — usually within a few days. That second application is what actually seats you: approved guests receive the address, the start time, and what to bring.
Who Gets a Seat, and What the Team Is Looking For
Shabbat Club builds "each room by hand," which means there isn't a published checklist of acceptance criteria — a person is reading for fit with that specific night rather than running applications through a filter. What is consistent across every event: the club is open to young professionals and welcoming to everyone, Jewish or not, with no "right" way to be Jewish required to get a seat. Rooms range from an 18-person Shabbat dinner to a 500-person Purim party, so the "right fit" for a given night depends on the format and size of that room, not on a fixed membership standard.
The Five Ways to Spend a Night With Shabbat Club
Every format below has its own application link on the events calendar — applying to the interest list on this page is what gets you matched to the right one.
| Format | Who It's For | What It Includes | Key Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday Night Dinner | Guests who want the full seated ritual | Cocktails and mingling, candles, challah and wine, a seated dinner with assigned tables, and — when the space allows — music and dancing late | A complete Shabbat night out, start to finish |
| Almost Shabbat | Guests who want a lower-commitment, standing-room night | Thursday-night mixers at Jewish-owned bars, restaurants and creative spaces, with drinks and culturally Jewish bites | Casual, made for moving around and meeting people |
| The Holidays | Guests celebrating Rosh Hashanah, Passover, Purim, Hanukkah and more | Seated dinners and larger parties built around the Jewish calendar, incorporating each holiday's rituals and food | Approachable, social, distinctly Shabbat Club takes on tradition |
| Shvitz Club | Guests who want something activity-first | A sauna party built around an old Jewish New York ritual — steam room, cold plunge and catching up | A different kind of room than a dinner or a bar night |
| Trips & Weekends Away | Guests who want more time together outside the city | Summer camp weekends in the Poconos, volunteer trips in Israel, baseball games, museum tours and other experiences | More time together in different places |
Proof: Nearly 100 Nights, Covered by the Press
Shabbat Club has hosted nearly 100 events across New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Tel Aviv — from intimate 18-person Shabbat dinners to 500-person Purim parties, sauna socials, karaoke nights, museum tours, volunteer trips, and a three-day adult summer camp. The club has been written about in Forbes, NY Jewish Week, Tablet Magazine, Ha'aretz, CBS News, NY Post, and Bloomberg, and founder Morgan Raum was named to NY Jewish Week's 36 to Watch, 2024, a list recognizing young innovative thinkers, doers and changemakers shaping New York City's Jewish life.
Key Takeaways
- Getting invited to Shabbat Club is a two-step process: apply to the interest list, then get matched to a specific event's application link.
- There's no public ticket line, no membership card, and no algorithm — a real person builds each room by hand.
- The interest form asks only for name, email, Instagram, and why you're writing — nothing more.
- Every event format (Friday dinners, Almost Shabbat, holidays, Shvitz Club, trips and weekends) has its own separate guest list.
- Rooms range from 18-person Shabbat dinners to 500-person Purim parties, and the club has run nearly 100 events across NYC, LA, Miami, and Tel Aviv.
- Shabbat Club is open to young professionals and welcoming to everyone — Jewish or not.
- Approved guests get the address, start time, and what-to-bring details once matched to a specific event.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to get invited to private Jewish social club events in New York?
Fill out the general interest form with your name, email, Instagram, and why you're writing. A team member matches you to a live event application — usually within a few days — and that second application is what actually seats you.
Is there a membership fee or membership card?
No. Shabbat Club doesn't use a membership model. Each event is applied for individually, and there's no public ticket line or card required to attend.
Can I apply with friends or as a group?
The interest form doesn't have a dedicated group field, but you can note it in the "why you're writing" section. Each event's own application (sent after you're matched) is where group details for that specific night would be sorted out.
What kinds of events will I be matched to?
Depending on what you write on the interest form, you could be matched to a Friday Night Dinner, an Almost Shabbat mixer, a holiday party, Shvitz Club, or a trip/weekend like the Poconos summer camp — see the full events calendar for what's currently running.
Do I have to be Jewish to apply?
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, as described on the about page.
How long does it take to hear back after applying?
The team sends the application link for a specific event once a format lines up with what you wrote on the interest form — usually within a few days.
Apply to the Interest List
Ready to get matched to a room? Fill out the interest form above with your name, email, Instagram, and why you're writing — a real person on the team will follow up with the application for the event that fits. Applying now for the Summer Camp Weekend in the Poconos, Sept 4–6th? Apply.