New East Bay Jewish Community Campus Set to Open in Rockridge
By Jana Good, RCPC Board Chair
Starting in August, the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay (JCC) will move into its new home, the East Bay Jewish Community Campus, off College Avenue in Rockridge. The newly created campus will serve as a cultural hub for local, regional, and national Jewish organizations.
The campus aims to be an empowering ecosystem where Jewish life thrives. By uniting many Jewish organizations in one central location, the Campus will enable collaboration and engagement across intellectual, cultural, spiritual, and social life.
“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 Susie Cohen Crumpler, JCC East Bay Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to expanding our programs and working closely with partner organizations to meet the evolving needs of our community.”
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 expanded JCC East Bay, along with up to 20 other Jewish organizations, will be housed on the Campus. 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; a cozy library; classrooms for adult learning; a spacious preschool with outdoor play areas and a sensory room; and a dedicated teen center.
The campus will be anchored by a central courtyard with a meadow, reflection garden, ball court, and seating areas, offering 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 performance venue, with a capacity to entertain more than 200 patrons. The event center’s collection of flexible, multi‑use spaces—including an outdoor deck—will provide a setting for year-round programming. Events will center on arts, ideas, and Jewish culture, featuring local, national, and international artists and thinkers.
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.
The preschool will be among the first to move onto the Campus, with opening day slated for August 24. Initially, the preschool will house approximately 60 toddlers, up to age 5. Over the next year, the preschool will expand to accommodate an additional 60 children, including babies as young as 6 months.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is slated for September, and grand opening events will take place in early 2027, when a full suite of programs and services will be open to the public.
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.