A Lifetime of Advocacy, One Gift: Dr. Michael Elterman on Building Community
A Lifetime of Advocacy, One Gift
Dr. Michael Elterman, who grew up in South Africa, arrived in Vancouver in 1981 with a commitment that has never wavered: the Jewish community is worth fighting for.
Since then, Michael has been a fixture in the city's Jewish communal life — chairing Canadian Jewish Congress (now the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs), leading interfaith coalitions, advocating against antisemitism, and serving today on the security committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver. His life is defined by a conviction that the Jewish community is stronger together than apart. Underlying all of it, he says, is a deep concern for Jewish security, and for the position of the community within Canada.
His gift to JWest, made alongside his wife, Marion, reflects something at the heart of Jewish tradition, and at the heart of this campaign.
Tzedakah: Where Values and Action Meet
In Jewish tradition, tzedakah is often translated as ‘charity’. But its Hebrew root, tzedek, means ‘justice’ — pointing to a much deeper concept. Giving is not sentimental generosity. It is the alignment of what you have with what you believe.
Michael thinks about his gift exactly that way. "From a philosophical point of view, after you've taken care of your family, the next most important thing is your community," he says.
The opportunity to give, he believes, is an opportunity to live your values. For Michael, those values have never been abstract, and his decades of advocacy work make this very clear.
"Because of the history of antisemitism and discrimination, it was necessary for Jewish community centres to be built," he says. "We still need to maintain the attitude that, as a community, we are stronger together. The JCC is that hub for communal life. It’s a place where Jewish people can meet, celebrate Jewish festivals and culture, and Jewish institutions can work more efficiently together. This is incredibly important because we’ve learned, over the course of history, that our strength is our ability to stay together, celebrate together, and take care of each other."
Tzedakah: Where Values and Action Meet
In Jewish tradition, tzedakah is often translated as ‘charity’. But its Hebrew root, tzedek, means ‘justice’ — pointing to a much deeper concept. Giving is not sentimental generosity. It is the alignment of what you have with what you believe.
Michael thinks about his gift exactly that way. "From a philosophical point of view, after you've taken care of your family, the next most important thing is your community," he says.
The opportunity to give, he believes, is an opportunity to live your values. For Michael, those values have never been abstract, and his decades of advocacy work make this very clear.
"Because of the history of antisemitism and discrimination, it was necessary for Jewish community centres to be built," he says. "We still need to maintain the attitude that, as a community, we are stronger together. The JCC is that hub for communal life. It’s a place where Jewish people can meet, celebrate Jewish festivals and culture, and Jewish institutions can work more efficiently together. This is incredibly important because we’ve learned, over the course of history, that our strength is our ability to stay together, celebrate together, and take care of each other."
Six Grandchildren, One Vision
Michael and Marion have six grandchildren, all in Jewish day school. For Michael, that fact shapes everything about why he gave, and what he hopes this campus becomes.
"It's very important to me that when they walk into the JCC in five, ten, fifteen or twenty years from now, they see our family name," he says. "I want them to see our family as part of building this community for them.”
Jewish education, he believes, is foundational.
"If you don't have a Jewish education, you're losing out on your Jewish identity," he says. “We live in a multicultural society, and there are many things pulling people in other directions. Jewish education forms a foundation of identity, and the JCC is an important centre to maintain that identity: for celebrations, for gathering, for being Jewish together."
The new Jewish campus is, at its core, a place where all of that happens. Together.
A Connection to Ron Roadburg
Ron Roadburg was a Vancouver businessman and philanthropist whose estate established the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation in 2021, one of JWest's most significant donors. Michael knew him well. The two often spoke about the importance of community, and Michael believes Ron would have been very proud of the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation’s support.
"He would be extremely pleased with the contribution his foundation has made to JWest," Michael says. "He always put his money where his love was."
One Brick in the Wall
Michael's message to anyone still on the sidelines carries the weight of someone who has spent a lifetime in community building.
"I see my contribution as one brick in the wall," he says. "I'm not going to be able to fund the whole wall, but I can fund one brick. If people have the means, financially, and the values to be one brick in the wall, I encourage them to do that."
The wall is nearly complete. JWest has raised over $150 million. With our total raise for the JWest Community Campaign close to $4 million, the campaign is in its final stretch, and every gift, at every level, is a brick.
This is a project being finished, as it was built, by a community that shows up. By people who understand, as Michael does, that tzedakah is not simply charity, it is justice. It’s what comes after you've taken care of your family, and now is the moment to add your brick.