EAST BAY JEWISH COMMUNITY CAMPUS OPENING THIS FALL

Operated by the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, the newly created campus will serve as a cultural hub for local, regional, and national Jewish organizations

Marking a historic milestone in its 47-year history, the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of the East Bay will realize a long‑held vision with the opening of the East Bay Jewish Community Campus - the first of its kind in the East Bay region—later this year in Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood. 

Anchored by an expanded JCC and home to a network of Jewish nonprofit organizations, the three-acre Campus will bring together early childhood education, arts and culture, wellness, learning, and community in one vibrant location. Rooted in Jewish values, the Campus will offer a welcoming, inclusive space for all to come together, experience, and celebrate—strengthening belonging, resilience, and connection across generations.

“I am incredibly excited to welcome the expanded Jewish Community Center of the East Bay and their Campus partners to our Rockridge community,” said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. “This facility will provide critical early childcare services, generate economic returns for the neighborhood, and serve as a vital cultural gathering point — transforming an underused site into a flourishing hub of activity. This is great news for Oakland, and we look forward to celebrating the grand opening!”

By uniting many Jewish organizations in one central location, the Campus offers an innovative model for collaboration and engagement across intellectual, cultural, spiritual, and social life. 

“This Campus represents a transformational investment in Jewish life in the East Bay,” said Steven Douglas, JCC East Bay and East Bay Jewish Community Campus Board President. “We are building a vibrant, welcoming home where people of all ages and backgrounds can gather to learn, celebrate, and thrive together. This shared home for leading Jewish organizations will strengthen community bonds, expand partnerships, and help ensure a strong and dynamic future for generations to come.”

The Campus will be located at 5957 Chabot Road, between College Avenue and Claremont Avenue. The Campus site was previously the office headquarters of Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream on the College Avenue side and the original Oakland Yoshi’s restaurant and jazz club on the Claremont Avenue side. The project transforms two familiar East Bay sites into a place where the community can grow and flourish.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is slated for September, and grand opening events will take place in early 2027, at which time a full suite of programs and services will be open to the public.

The expanded JCC East Bay, along with up to 20 other Jewish organizations, will be housed on the Campus, benefiting from a wide range of amenities and meeting spaces designed to foster co-creation and innovation. The Campus will feature a kosher café; an event center showcasing new arts and culture programs; a catering and teaching kitchen; a health and wellness studio; an intimate library; classrooms for adult learning; a spacious early childhood education center with outdoor play areas and sensory room; and a dedicated teen center. Anchored by a central courtyard with a meadow, reflection garden, ball court, and seating areas, the Campus will offer inviting spaces for people of all ages to experience Jewish life together in an open, accessible environment.

A highlight of the new Campus will be the thoughtfully designed performance venue, with capacity to entertain more than 200 patrons. The event center’s collection of flexible, multi‑use spaces—including an outdoor deck—will provide the East Bay with a sought-after setting for year-round programming. Events will center on arts, ideas, and Jewish culture, featuring local, national, and international artists and thinkers.

The JCC East Bay will operate an expanded Early Childhood Education Center on the new Campus, significantly increasing preschool capacity for children ages six months to five years, with beautifully reconstructed, spacious, and well-appointed classrooms. In addition to the preschool, the Campus will offer a Parent Center with community sessions and classes for both children and their parents or caregivers.

All told, the Campus spans more than 128,000 square feet, of which 84,000 square feet will be building space, activating a previously underutilized site in Rockridge. Generously funded through grants and individual support—including founding donors and visionaries, Moses Libitzky and Nathan Petrowsky—more than half of the $125 million campaign goal has been secured and additional funds have been pledged. Building on this momentum, efforts continue to secure the remaining funding needed to bring the full vision to life.

“I am so proud to support this amazing effort to expand East Bay Jewish communal life and create a space where multiple Jewish organizations can operate and thrive collectively,” said Moses Libitzky. “Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood is an ideal location to host this purpose-driven new Campus.”

The unique campus model will harness the collaboration and creativity that emerge when numerous Jewish organizations share one central home. Together, they will generate a richer, more diverse portfolio of programs, services, and experiences—expanding what is possible for the East Bay community.

“The opening of the East Bay Jewish Community Campus is a landmark moment for our region, and the Federation is proud to see this dream become reality,” said Joy Sisisky, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Federation Bay Area. “Mazel tov to everyone who helped make this dynamic hub for Jewish life possible. We look forward to building an even stronger presence in the East Bay through our new Federation space on Campus and the deeper partnerships it will make possible.”

The JCC East Bay’s Early Childhood Education Center will open its doors in late August, several months ahead of the Campus’s official grand opening. The JCC East Bay will continue to offer its afterschool and Edah (Jewish and Hebrew experiential) programs at their Berkeley location on Walnut Street through the 2026-27 school year. The organization is in the process of selling the Walnut Street building and exploring options to continue operating some programs at an alternate location in Berkeley.

“We believe our new Campus will become a central gathering place, not only for the Rockridge neighborhood, but for the entire East Bay Jewish community and the East Bay as a whole,” said JCC East Bay Chief Executive Officer Susie Cohen Crumpler. “We look forward to expanding our programs and working closely with partner organizations to meet the evolving needs of our community. Now is the time to foster connection and belonging within the Jewish community. Our collective future is bright with opportunity.”

Community members interested in Campus updates, program information, enrollment opportunities, or supporting the project can learn more and sign up for updates at www.jcceastbay.org.