Photo by marios savva

BENEFIT: Help support 826DC, a local nonprofit that helps K-12 students with their writing skills, at their Baby, It’s Cold Outside holiday benefit event tonight at the U Street Music Hall (1115 U Street NW). 8 p.m. Tickets: $50 in advance, $75 at the door.

STORYTELLING: SpeakeasyDC presents “My So-Called Jewish Life,” a night of “autobiographical stories about all things Jewish, not-so-Jewish, and wanna-be Jewish” at Sixth and I Historic Synangogue (600 I Street NW) this evening. The storytellers include Neda Ulaby (NPR arts and culture reporter), Daren Firestone (actor and lawyer), Emily Pearl Goodstein (“sweatpants enthusiast, reproductive justice activist, birth story photographer, and rabble-rouser”), PJ Andrews (government worker), Sara Armour (stand-up comedian), and Rachel Ackerman (rabbi). 6:30 p.m. $20.

TALK: Nerds in NoMa, a free speaker series, brings in a panel to discuss “Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper: Better Cities” at The Lobby Project (1200 First Street NE) this evening. Hear from Harriet Tregoning (director of the DC Office of Planning), Morgan Greenhouse (founder and managing partner of verdeHOUSE), and Erik Kugler (co-owner and CFO of BicycleSPACE). Drinks and small bites will be available for purchase. 6-8 p.m. Free (but RSVP requested).

HANUKKAH: Celebrate Hanukkah with The Israeli House, The Embassy of Israel, Teev Events, and Israeli band Hadag Nahash at the 9:30 Club (815 V Street NW) tonight. 7 p.m. $35.

MUSIC: Alarms & Controls, Soccer Team, and Talk It play the Black Cat Backstage (1811 14th Street NW) this evening. 8 p.m. $10.