JCC East Bay

Yiddish Conversation
2025-09-10 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-09-03 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-05-28 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-05-21 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-05-14 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-05-07 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-04-30 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-04-23 10:30 - 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
Join us for Yiddish Conversation!
Participants will take turns reading various Yiddish passages aloud – laughing at the stories together, connecting with like-minded community members, and keeping the art of the Yiddish language alive!
Please email Gravity to RSVP: gravity.goldberg@jcceastbay.org

Advanced Mah Jongg
2025-09-10 10:00 - 13:00, 2025-09-03 10:00 - 13:00, 2025-05-28 10:00 - 13:00, 2025-05-21 10:00 - 13:00, 2025-05-14 10:00 - 13:00, 2025-05-07 10:00 - 13:00, 2025-04-30 10:00 - 13:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
A JCC East Bay group that meets weekly on Wednesdays to play American Mah Jongg!
This group is for more experienced players or those wanting to sharpen their competitive edge. Join for good company, tea, and fierce games of Mah Jongg. Drop-ins are welcome.
For more information email Gravity (gravity.goldberg@jcceastbay.org).

East Bay Jewish Writing Circle
2025-08-25 19:00 - 20:30 | Beit Chabot, 5939 Chabot Rd, Oakland, CA, 94618, United States
Join fellow community members for a monthly generative writing experience. With an open theme, facilitators will bring to the table a genre, idea, passion, or otherwise Jewish-themed passage to inspire the evening’s compositions.
Our August session will be facilitated by Ali Michael Cannon.

Register here.

Israeli Welcome Brunch and Gathering
2025-08-10 10:30 - 12:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
הנכם מוזמנים לבראנץ’ פתיחת השנה וקבלת פנים למשפחות ישראליות שתערך ב JCC בברקלי!
ברוכים הבאים לברקלי! אנחנו כל כך שמחים שהגעתם, נשמח להזמין אתכם לבראנץ’ קבלת פנים ומפגש למשפחות ישראליות ב-JCC East Bay.
האירוע יהווה הזדמנות ל:
להכיר משפחות ישראליות חדשות באיזור
להתחבר למשפחות ותיקות באזור שתוכלנה להציע תמיכה והכוונה לחיים באזור
לגלות משאבים שיכולים לעזור במעבר ולהקל על ההשתלבות בקהילה
וסתם הזדמנות נהדרת לבלות עם אנשים נהדרים מהקהילה, לחבר ילדים ומבוגרים
אנחנו נרגשים לקבל את פניכם באופן אישי ולעזור לכם להרגיש בבית בקהילה החמה והתוססת שלנו.
אם יש לכם שאלות, אל תהססו לפנות ל-Gravity בכתובת: gravity.goldberg@jcceastbay.org
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Dear Families,
Welcome to Berkeley! We’re so glad you’re here, and we’d love to invite you to a Welcome Brunch and Gathering for Israeli Families at the JCC East Bay.
This casual and friendly event is a chance to:
Meet other Israeli families who are also new to the area
Connect with longtime local families who can offer friendship, support, and insight into life in the East Bay
Discover helpful resources to ease your transition and build community.
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Register here

East Bay Jewish Writing Circle
2025-06-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Beit Chabot, 5939 Chabot Rd, Oakland, CA, 94618, United States
Join fellow community members for a monthly generative writing experience. With an open theme, facilitators will bring to the table a genre, idea, passion, or otherwise Jewish-themed passage to inspire the evening’s compositions.
Our June session will be facilitated by Dan Schifrin.

Register here.

The 37th Annual East Bay Tikkun: A Day of Learning on Shavuot
2025-06-01 14:00 - 20:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
The 37th Annual East Bay Tikkun:
A Day of Learning in Honor of Shavuot
The JCC East Bay is excited to welcome you to this beloved community event!
Once again, in partnership with dozens of Bay Area synagogues and organizations, we will offer a day of community learning in honor of Shavuot. For safety and security, event pre-registration is required.

VENUE
All classes will be held at the JCC East Bay on 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley.

CLASS SCHEDULE
Shortly before the event, all pre-registered attendees will receive a schedule of classes emailed to the email address with which they registered.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Please visit the JCC East Bay Shavuot page for an updated list of partners and more information about the JCC East Bay.

SPACE FOR FAMILIES DURING OUR EVENT
Please note that our Preschool yard will be available for play time should families choose to bring their children, however, the yard will not be supervised, so we require that an adult stay with their child(ren). Please respect and enjoy our space, recognizing that classes will be in session around the Preschool yard. Your cooperation in helping to keep children as quiet as possible is greatly appreciated.

QUESTIONS?
Email tikkun@jcceastbay.org and we’ll respond in a timely manner.

IMAGE
Special thanks to JCC East Bay Artist-in-Residence, Rebecca Schisler, for the generous use of her image, “Walk Humbly with your G-d.”

Register here.

Flower Arranging Workshop
2025-05-22 10:30 - 12:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
Join the JCC East Bay for a Flower Arranging Workshop!
We’re hosting a fun and interactive workshop where you’ll learn the art of creating beautiful floral arrangements. Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience, this workshop is perfect for anyone looking to unleash their creativity and learn new skills.
During the workshop, you’ll get hands-on experience arranging different types of flowers and foliage. Expert instructor April Schlanger will provide guidance and tips to help you create stunning bouquets and centerpieces. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to explore your passion for flowers and connect with fellow flower enthusiasts. Let your creativity bloom!

Register here.
Cost: $10
All the flowers you need are included in the ticket price, as well as a basic glass vase. If you would like, you are welcome to bring your own vase.

Be Mitzvah Open House
2025-05-18 16:45 - 18:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
You’re invited to join us for a taste of JCC East Bay Be Mitzvah program!
The Be Mitzvah journey is a meaningful time of growth, reflection, and learning. Finding the right community and program can be challenging, but we’re here to help.
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JCC East Bay is excited to partner with Judaism Your Way to offer 6th – 7th graders a new Be Mitzvah program.
The Be Mitzvah program offers a two-year, in-person small group learning program that guides students through this pivotal coming-of-age experience, offering a customizable approach that prioritizes their personal connection to Judaism. This experience prepares students for a distinctive, meaningful, and personally curated Be Mitzvah ceremony that focuses on helping youth discover their individual identity within a Jewish context.
This event is designed for parents and tweens to learn more about this special program.
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Register here.

The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance
2025-05-18 13:00 - 16:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
Join our monthly series celebrating The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance! Great for musicians, dancers, and enthusiasts to meet, schmooze, or simply to take in the beauty of these rich traditions. Bring your instruments and dancing shoes.
This month’s workshop is all about Klezmer music! The workshop will be led by teaching artists Dmitri Gaskin, Misha Khalikulov, and Bruce Bierman
During the first 90 minutes, participants can choose between spaces to learn multi-ethnic music and dance technique and styles. Participants will all come together for a 30 minute dance party focusing on the dances and tunes taught in the prior hour. The remaining segment will be an informal music jam in one or more of the classroom spaces at the JCC East Bay.
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Dmitri Gaskin (he/him) is an accordion player and composer specializing in Klezmer music. He performs with bands Tsvey Brider, Baymele, and Saul Goodman’s Klezmer Band. With his duo Tsvey Brider (“two brothers” in Yiddish), Dmitri has co-written an album of new Yiddish song, Kosmopolitn (Borscht Beat, 2022). He has also performed and taught at music festivals including Yidstock, Yiddish Summer Weimar, KlezCalifornia, Klezmer on Ice, and others. Outside of Klezmer, Dmitri won the ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award for contemporary classical music. He studied accordion with Josh Horowitz and Alan Bern. Dmitri lives in rural Santa Cruz county with his wife and their four goats.
Misha Khalikulov is a cellist and music educator born in Soviet Uzbekistan and raised in San Francisco. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Cello Performance from UCLA, studying under Antonio Lysy. Misha spent nearly 14 years with the internationally touring group The April Fishes, performing extensively in Europe and Asia. He is also a member of the Klezmer trio Baymele, alongside accordionist Dmitri Gaskin and violinist Matthew Stein, and has performed with acclaimed artists like Anthony Russell. Misha plays with contemporary group StringQuake and Hungarian folk group Vadalma. In January 2019, he toured Vietnam with Vietnamese musician Van-Anh Vo. Passionate about bridging divides through music, Misha teaches children through several non-profit organizations, including Harmony Project Bay Area and Bay Area Music Project. He has recorded on over 40 albums across various styles.
Bruce Bierman is a celebrated Jewish dance master, theater director, and arts educator. He is co-artistic director of the award-winning Yiddish Theatre Ensemble in Berkeley where he has directed and choreographed The Megilleh of Itzik Manger for the Berkeley Jewish Music Festival, Sholem Asch’s God of Vengeance, and most recently Between Worlds starring Naomi Newman. He served as Yiddish dance and theater dramaturg for Paula Vogel’s Tony Award winning play, Indecent at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Arena Stage and the most recent production at the San Francisco Playhouse which YTE also co-produced. Bruce was also a lead dancer and teaching artist with the Los Angeles Aman Folk Ensemble bringing world music and dance to youth throughout the L.A. Unified School District.
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Register here.
Single session tickets: Sliding scale $25-54

Co-presented by KlezCalifornia

Nosh With Your Neighbors
2025-05-15 11:30 - 13:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
Each month we invite you to join us at the JCC East Bay to enjoy lunch with your community! This is a BYOL (bring-your-own-lunch) with delicious dessert, coffee, and tea provided. RSVP is required.

Register here.

Beginner Mah Jongg Class
2025-05-09 10:00 - 12:00
The JCC East Bay Beginner Mah Jongg Class is back!
This 4-part class is an in-depth, comprehensive course on how to play American Mah Jongg. Classes are taught by our esteemed JCC East Bay Mah Jongg instructors.
Class Descriptions:
Class 1: Introduction to the tiles, rules on how to play, and the (Jewish) history of American Mah Jongg
Class 2: How does the game really work?
Class 3: Practice Playing – get all your questions answered
Class 4: Practice Playing – with instructor support as needed
What is provided during this class?:

2025 Mah Jongg Card
Learning in community!

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Beginner Mah Jongg Class takes place on the following Fridays, from 10am-12pm:
May 9, May 16, May 23, and May 30
Participants must attend all four sessions.

Register here.
Address will be shared via confirmation email, after registration

Canasta Group
2025-04-29 11:00 - 13:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
Play Canasta at the JCC East Bay!
This group is intended for players experienced in classic Canasta, not modern Canasta. If you are a beginner looking to learn, please stay tuned for a beginners group!
This group will meet weekly, on Tuesdays, from 11am – 1pm.
RSVPs are requested, limited space each week.

Register here.

East Bay Jewish Writing Circle
2025-04-28 19:00 - 20:30 | Beit Chabot, 5939 Chabot Rd, Oakland, CA, 94618, United States
Join fellow community members for a monthly generative writing experience. With an open theme, facilitators will bring to the table a genre, idea, passion, or otherwise Jewish-themed passage to inspire the evening’s compositions.
Our April session will be facilitated by Caroline Kessler.

Register here.

The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance
2025-04-27 13:00 - 16:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
Join our monthly series celebrating The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance! Great for musicians, dancers, and enthusiasts to meet, schmooze, or simply to take in the beauty of these rich traditions. Bring your instruments and dancing shoes.
This month, we will explore Yeminite music and dance traditions.
During the first 90 minutes, participants can choose between spaces to learn multi-ethnic music and dance technique and styles. Participants will all come together for a 30 minute dance party focusing on the dances and tunes taught in the prior hour. The remaining segment will be an informal music jam in one or more of the classroom spaces at the JCC East Bay.
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Meet our guest teachers:
Dror Sinai is a percussionist and healing music expert. He is a pioneer in the fields of world percussion, Chi Gong, and the exploration of music as a therapeutic tool. Over the years Dror Has presented lectures, clinics, workshops, residencies to diverse audiences including universities, schools, community gatherings, and congregations. Dror played , performed and presented around the world solo and collaborated with other wonderful and famous Musicians and Bands including: Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Yair Dalal, Yuval Ron, Al Moalem Mahmoud Guinea.
Avraham (Avi) David Sinai is a percussionist, vocalist, and visual artist from Santa Cruz, California, combines traditional Arabic Yemeni Jewish chants with a contemporary flair. Learning these songs from his father Dror from the age of four, Avi creates a unique fusion of ancient and modern melodies, embodying the spirit of Yemen. He has performed with bands such as Zirzuvi and Phreeborn and the Phrequency. Avi and his father Dror performing regularly as a duo.
Rachel Valfer is a passionate singer and oud (Arabic lute) player who brings depth of feeling to every song. She studied Maqam and Persian dastgah modal systems in Israel and Palestine for six years at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, and sings with several ensembles in the Bay Area. Gifted in the art of language, Rachel sings in Hebrew, Arabic, Farsi, Greek, Turkish, Ladino, and Armenian.
Bruce Bierman is a celebrated Jewish dance master, theater director, and arts educator. He is co-artistic director of the award-winning Yiddish Theatre Ensemble in Berkeley where he has directed and choreographed The Megilleh of Itzik Manger for the Berkeley Jewish Music Festival, Sholem Asch’s God of Vengeance, and most recently Between Worlds starring Naomi Newman. He served as Yiddish dance and theater dramaturg for Paula Vogel’s Tony Award winning play, Indecent at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Arena Stage and the most recent production at the San Francisco Playhouse which YTE also co-produced. Bruce was also a lead dancer and teaching artist with the Los Angeles Aman Folk Ensemble bringing world music and dance to youth throughout the L.A. Unified School District.
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Single session tickets: Sliding scale $25-54
Full series ticket: $180
Full series tickets: Register here
Single session tickets:
April 27, 2025 – Dror Sinai, Avi Sinai, Rachel Valfer, and Bruce Bierman
May 18, 2025 – Dmitri Gaskin, Misha Khalikulov, and Bruce Bierman

The Joy of Jewish Music and Dance is co-presented by JCC East Bay and KlezCalifornia, and funded in part by a generous grant from the KlezCalifornia Yiddish Culture Fund.

¡Cantamos!
2025-04-27 10:30 - 12:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
It’s our final session of ¡Cantamos! for the 2024-25 season, you don’t want to miss it!
Experience the rhythmic fusion of Jewish and Latin traditions with Verónica Freidkes, our creative musician, child educator, and Argentinian singer. Together, through joyful singing and movement, we’ll embrace our shared cultural bond in this lively musical rendezvous.
Tailored especially for families with children ages 0-8. All are welcome!
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Es nuestra última sesión de ¡Cantamos! para la temporada 2024-25, ¡no te lo querrás perder!
Experimente la fusión rítmica de las tradiciones judía y latina con Verónica Freidkes, nuestra música creativa, educadora infantil y cantante argentina. Juntos, a través de cantos y movimientos alegres, abrazaremos nuestro vínculo cultural compartido en esta animada cita musical.
Diseñado especialmente para familias con niños de 0 a 8 años. ¡Todos son bienvenidos!

Register here.

¡Cantamos! is a collaboration between JCC East Bay, Olamim, Jewtina y Co., and Tkiya.
¡Cantamos! es una colaboración entre JCC East Bay, Olamim, Jewtina y Co., and Tkiya.

Remembrance, Resistance, and Resilience
2025-04-24 11:30 - 13:00 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
Older Adults are invited to join us for lunch and a virtual screening of the City of Berkeley’s Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The JCC East Bay will be hosting a special screening of the annual Yom HaShoah program. The pre-recorded program – which will be screened in person during this event – will include a welcome from Mayor Adena Ishi, inspirational stories from Survivors Eva Lukacs and Helen Fixler, and music from clarinetist Asaf Ophir and accordionist Josh Horowitz. Boxed lunches, coffee, tea, and desserts will be served.

Register here.

Older Adults Book Club
2025-04-24 10:00 - 11:30 | JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley, CA, 94709, United States
Join the JCC East Bay Older Adults Book Club!
Our book club will meet on the third Thursday of each month from 10:30-11:30am, right before our monthly Nosh With Your Neighbors gathering. The group will collaborate to decide which book they want to read based on the members’ interests and preferences!
This month, the Book Club is reading Antisemitism in America: A Warning by Chuck Schumer.
Participation in the book club is free and folks are encouraged to join at any time.

Register here.
Questions?
Reach out to Noah Curtis-Goldstein: noah.curtisgoldstein@jcceastbay.org.
