Groundbreaking set for Oct. 7
Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life to be home to new Oshman Family JCC and 899 Charleston

Sept. 20, 2007, Palo Alto, CA -- Jewish and civic community leaders will gather Sunday, Oct. 7 to celebrate the official groundbreaking of the Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life, an 8.5-acre campus that will be home to the new Oshman Family Jewish Community Center and 899 Charleston, an innovative senior living community that is an initiative of the Jewish Home of San Francisco. The celebration will begin at 4 p.m.

The groundbreaking marks a major milestone for the growing South Bay Jewish community, which has already raised more than $126.7 million of the $140 million needed to build the campus located at East Charleston Road and Fabian Way in Palo Alto. Another significant milestone is that financial deposits have been received for more than half of the apartments at 899 Charleston.

Carol Saal, campus fundraising chair, is one of the community leaders looking forward to the event.

“Many have worked long and hard to bring the community to this momentous day — six years to be exact!” Saal said. “We’re thrilled that the Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life will be everything we hoped for and more.”

Ceremonial activities will include brief remarks by some of the key donors, including Tad Taube, president of the Koret Foundation and chairman of Taube Philanthropies.

“Jewish survival is a primary interest of both the Taube Philanthropies and the Koret Foundation,” Taube said. “We have committed significant resources toward ensuring a vibrant Jewish life in the South Peninsula.”

Other key donors include the Oshman Family Foundation, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund and the Jewish Community Endowment Fund of the Jewish Community Federation, as well as dozens of other community leaders who have stepped forward with generous gifts.

When it opens in the Fall of 2009, the Taube Koret Campus will provide an innovative, intergenerational complex for the South Peninsula community. The campus will have a pedestrian-friendly, village feel and an environmentally conscious design. In addition to the Oshman Family JCC and 899 Charleston, the campus will provide regional offices for several South Bay Jewish agencies, including the Jewish Community Federation the Bureau of Jewish Education and the Jewish Community Relations Council.

The campus will consist of a series of low-rise buildings carefully designed to create both public and private spaces. The 899 Charleston residences will be located on specific floors of various JCC facilities and campus buildings, and all will share the beautiful landscaping, walkways and public spaces throughout, capped by a tower in the central courtyard.

The Oshman Family JCC facilities will encompass over 135,000 square feet with programs and services for every age and stage of life. Among the recreational facilities will be a state-of-the-art fitness center, a large gym, and both indoor and outdoor pools. A beautiful new cultural arts center will accommodate over 300 people. Other facilities include the T’enna Preschool, a teen center, classrooms, and a café and gift shop.

899 Charleston has received reservations for more than 100 of its 193 one-, two-, and three- bedroom private residences, which offer a variety of floor plans and finishing options. 899 Charleston will provide its residents with a full spectrum of services and amenities in a dynamic and secure environment that will encourage overall health and wellness, a strong sense of community and foster intergenerational connection.

The Taube-Koret Campus for Jewish Life was designed by Steinberg Architects and will be built by Webcor and managed by Sares-Regis Group. The Oshman Family JCC and 899 Charleston are anticipated to be open in the Fall of 2009.

About 899 Charleston
899 Charleston is an innovative senior living community offering private residences and a full continuum of care that includes personalized assisted living services, if needed, and memory support residences on campus. Residents are also afforded priority access to skilled nursing care through the affiliation with the Jewish Home of San Francisco.  899 Charleston is an initiative of the Jewish Home of San Francisco, a private non-profit charitable organization providing high-quality care and services to older adults in a home-like environment that emphasizes comfort, community and compassion. For additional information on the 899 Charleston lifestyle, please call (650) 321-3188 to arrange an appointment to visit the community’s preview center, located at 366 Cambridge Avenue in Palo Alto.

About the Oshman Family JCC
The Oshman Family Jewish Community Center will serve Jewish and non-Jewish individuals of all ages through educational, social, recreational, wellness and cultural programs. The JCC aspires to be a Jewish neighborhood where all are welcome. It serves as a nexus of diverse Jewish communities that opens doors and creates connections for rich, robust and rewarding experiences. The JCC establishes common ground for Jewish institutions, groups and individuals for the betterment of the whole community. Currently operating as the Albert L. Schultz Jewish Community Center, the JCC will change its name to the Oshman Family JCC when the Taube Koret Campus opens in Fall, 2009. Additional information can be found at www.paloaltojcc.org.

Contact:
Mimi Sells, Oshman Family JCC
msells@paloaltojcc.org
(650) 852-3557

Sherie Koshover, 899 Charleston
skoshover@jhsf.org
(415) 469-2249

Susan Wolfe, Koret Foundation
swolfe@koretfoundation.org
(415) 882-7740