FAQ

“Eesti By The Bay” is the Facebook page of the San Francisco Estonian Society (San Francisco Eesti Selts). We share information about our own events and activities, as well as other events and news that will interest local Estonians and friends of Estonia.

• • The name “Eesti By The Bay” contains layers of local Estonian and San Francisco history. The late Peeter Grüner published a long-time newsletter for Bay Area Estonians under that name. The name references the work of legendary San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen, who famously called San Francisco of the 1940’s “Baghdad By The Bay.”

• • The San Francisco Estonian Society is an all-volunteer organization that works to connect local Estonians and promote Estonian cultural life in the Bay Area. While Estonians have been in San Francisco since the early days of the Gold Rush, the San Francisco Estonian Society in its current form was established in 1950.

• • In a typical recent year, we have held events in the North Bay, South Bay, and East Bay, as well as in San Francisco. We often work together with local Latvian and Lithuanian organizations to host joint Baltic events. We are a member of the Estonian League of the West Coast (Eesti Organisatsioonide Liit Läänerannikul) and support the biannual West Coast Estonian Days (Lääneranniku Eesti Päevad) that rotate among the five major west coast cities.

• • Other ongoing Estonian groups and activities in the Bay Area include Korp!Vironia USAs, the San Francisco Estonian Community Choir, keelering, and Eesti laste mängugrupp. The Baltic Studies program at Stanford University Libraries also produces events of interest to the Estonian community.

• • How can I get in the loop?

    • • Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

      • Sign up for the Estonian Society’s e-mail list to receive our quarterly newsletter and occasional e-mail updates in between.  We also welcome you to share your news with us and our audience.

      • Follow the Estonian Society’s Google calendar, which includes our activities and other events of interest.

      • Come to one of our events and say hello!  There are plenty of ways to get involved.

• • How do I join the Estonian Society? -- The Estonian Society holds its annual membership drive in late winter and early spring, and accepts contributions year-round. Your support helps keep our activities going! While dues and donations are not tax deductible, we offer a member discount to our events when possible.

• • Can you host a performance for my visiting choir or theater group from Estonia? -- Contact us for inquiries. The Estonian Society does not have a dedicated venue, so we cannot accommodate all requests.

• • When will the Estonian consul next be in town? -- The west coast consulate is now open in San Francisco. See their webpage for contact info. The consulate, along with Estonia's consulate in New York, has been announced to close in the summer of 2024 for budgetary reasons, with consular services to be provided in Washington, D.C. We registered our opposition to this decision here.

• • I want to learn Estonian.

    • • Local resources: Keelering meets twice a month through Zoom to learn and practice Estonian, and currently has two levels (approximately A1-A2 and B1-B2). New members are always welcome!  Contact us for more information.

      • Online: the Estonian government supports several language programs, which you can learn more about here.

      • University-level: Estonian classes are taught at the University of Washington, as well as at BALSSI (Baltic Summer Studies Institute) at rotating campuses in the US every summer.

      • For kids: The Estonian kids' playgroup meets to give kids in Estonian speaking homes the chance to play together. Other resources for kids to learn and maintain the Estonian language include the Online Global School (Üleilmakool), which offers online Estonian language lessons for kids and youth up to the age of 26, as well as Estonian-language coursework in other subject areas. Summer camps in Estonia offer language immersion experiences, and in some years provide financial support for travel. Look for these opportunities in the early spring.

Question we missed? Info we should include? Send us a message on Facebook or an e-mail!