The East Bay Jewish Community Campus continues to make significant progress toward its transformation into a vibrant hub for Jewish life, education, and community. Two recent milestones—the arrival of historic Jerusalem Stone from Israel and the preservation of Oakland's iconic Yoshi's façade within the new event center—reflect the Campus’s desire to connect history with the future.
Jerusalem Stone Arrives from Israel
The Campus has welcomed the arrival of its Jerusalem Stone, a centerpiece that will greet visitors at the main entrance. Crafted from Jerusalem Gold limestone, the stone will serve as both a literal and symbolic gateway, connecting the community to thousands of years of Jewish history.
Sourced from Grebelsky's Mitzpe Ramon Quarry in Israel’s Negev Desert, Jerusalem Gold limestone carries deep historical significance. Its name evokes the enduring phrase “Jerusalem of Gold,” and the stone has been quarried for thousands of years.
It was used during the reign of King Herod in the construction of the Second Temple, including portions of the Western Wall. Since 1918, Jerusalem’s Stone Ordinance—first enacted under the British Mandate—has required buildings throughout the city to be clad in locally quarried limestone, preserving Jerusalem’s distinctive architectural character.
The stone has its own remarkable journey. It traveled thousands of miles from Israel to Rockridge amid global unrest and international shipping disruptions before safely arriving at its new home.
Its arrival marks more than a construction milestone—it represents the East Bay Jewish Community Campus’s enduring connection to Jewish history and its commitment to building a welcoming home where identity and community come together.
Center Provides State-of-the-Art Kitchen
The venue will feature a fully equipped, commercial-grade kosher-style kitchen to support everything from cooking classes and catered receptions to educational programming and life celebrations. When it opens, the event center will become a hub for film screenings, live music, comedy performances, visual arts programming, and other community events.
Campus Preserves an Oakland Landmark
The building itself also preserves an important chapter of Oakland's cultural history. Before becoming part of the East Bay Jewish Community Campus, it housed the original Yoshi’s Jazz Club on Claremont Avenue.
The Campus has carefully preserved the building’s distinctive green tile façade—installed before Yoshi’s opened there in 1977 and retained until the renowned jazz club relocated to Jack London Square. Both the building and its iconic tile façade are designated Oakland Historic Resources, recognizing their architectural and cultural significance.
Like the JCC East Bay, Yoshi’s traces its roots to Berkeley in the 1970s, and both institutions have served the East Bay community for more than five decades. Preserving this historic landmark celebrates a beloved Oakland institution while giving the space new purpose as a home for Jewish community life.
Preschool Opens this Month; Grand Opening Scheduled for March 2027.
Construction on the East Bay Jewish Community Campus continues to advance toward several key milestones. The preschool will welcome its first students on August 24, while construction of the event center is expected to be completed in October, allowing select programming to begin in late fall. The Campus’s formal grand opening is planned for March 2027, when the event center will launch a year-round calendar of educational, cultural, and community programming.
