About Berkeley

Berkeley Moshav enriches the lives of its individual members through communal activities and personal interactions, shared responsibilities and celebration of Shabbat and Jewish holidays — all within a physical environment of private homes and extensive common facilities. 

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Jewish Berkeley
​Jewish life in Berkeley is diverse and robust. There are 4 synagogues and an independent minyan, offering many flavors of Jewish life. Berkeley is home to the Jewish Studio Project, which cultivates creativity as a Jewish practice for spiritual connection and social transformation, and Urban Adamah, an educational farm and community center that integrates the practices of Jewish tradition, mindfulness, sustainable agriculture, and social action. You can spend an afternoon at Covenant Winery, a premier kosher winery, or the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, a museum of Jewish history, art, and culture. You'll find Jewish events, preschool, after-school programs, and more at JCC East Bay. Boichik Bagels, Oakland Kosher, Abba's Hummus, and Saul's Deli all offer delicious kosher meals. And, of course, there's Berkeley Moshav; the perfect home base for this city full of Jewish life. ​

​Education
Berkeley's public schools are very highly regarded, with class sizes averaging just 20 students in kindergarten through third grade (and having maintained this 20:1 student-to-teacher ratio since 1984). Berkeley also has a highly educated population and is home to both Berkeley City College and  the University of California, Berkeley, the top-rated public university in the country. ​

Cafes & Restaurants
Where to start? Berkeley’s cafe and coffee culture is unparalleled, with about 20 independent coffee houses scattered throughout Berkeley’s neighborhoods (including Caffe Chiave, States, and Highwire in ours). Here’s a partial list. (We’re the home of Peet’s Coffee too.) For a meal, cozy Berkeley has more than 350 restaurants of all types, including Chinese, a cider house, chocolatiers, craft beer and pizza, Creole, crepes, French, gelato, German slow food, Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Persian, ramen, seafood, seasonal/sustainable, sushi, tapas, Thai, vegetarian/vegan, and wineries. Whew!

​Parks & Nature
To quote Berkeley enthusiast (and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist) Michael Chabon, “Part of the charm of Berkeley lies in her setting: the shimmer and eucalyptus sting of the hills on a dusty summer afternoon, hills whose rocky bones jut through the skin of Berkeley in odd outcroppings like Indian Rock; the morning fogs of the flatlands along the bay, with their smell of mud and their magically vanishing glimpses of Alcatraz and towers of San Francisco.”

The city is full of walking paths, biking paths, and other places to adventure. A few sights nearby that you don't want to miss: Tilden Park, Adventure Playground, Golden Gate seashore, Marin Headlands, Santa Cruz Mountains, and Lake Tahoe.

Performing Arts
Berkeley has an art scene that rivals many large cities. The area is home to at least four theater companies including Bay Area Children’s Theatre and the world-renowned Berkeley Repertory Theatre; two symphonic orchestras along with a jazz conservatory, Zellerbach Hall, the Greek Theatre; and a regional, ethnic, and social music scene anchored by the Freight & Salvage, a thriving nonprofit community arts organization that draws eclectic performers from around the country.

Museums & Fine Art
Like your art more contemplative? Meander through the Berkeley Rose Garden or the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden. Visit the Berkeley Art Museum (and Pacific Film Archive) or the Berkeley Art Center or take your kids to the Lawrence Hall of Science. And don’t forget the immensely rich museums and cultural experiences that nearby San Francisco has to offer!