$36 million gift from Roadburg family to JWest announced by Mark Gurvis
Vancouver, British Columbia- based JWest and Mark Gurvis are pleased to announce a leading $36 million capital campaign matching challenge by the Roadburg family foundations, the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation and the Al Roadburg Foundation.
This is the first time the two private charitable foundations have collaborated on a major initiative, and they hope to inspire the community through the Roadburg family’s legacy. This gift marks the single largest donation given to the JWest project.
“The JWest project will create a robust athletic, social and cultural hub that is bound to strengthen both the Jewish community and the broader community across the region. With the Roadburg family’s support for the community in mind, we’re pleased to be part of making it happen.”
The Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation was established in 2021 through the estate of the late Vancouver businessman Ronald Roadburg. Rooted in a strong sense of community and responsibility, the foundation engages in philanthropic initiatives in the Jewish and broader communities in British Columbia, across Canada, in Israel, and around the world. Promoting transformational change, the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation looks to support populations disproportionately affected by circumstance or inequities, strengthen and secure the Jewish community and other at-risk communities, and address complex social challenges.
“Strengthening and securing communities is at the heart of the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation, and we saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do just that,” said Bernard Pinsky, chair of the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation. “Ronald Roadburg was active in Vancouver real estate. With his vision to establish philanthropic goals for his estate, JWest is a perfect opportunity to leave a legacy in the city of Vancouver.”
Founded in 1997, the Al Roadburg Foundation seeks to support charitable organizations across Vancouver and in Israel responding to food and housing insecurity and health care issues. The foundation also looks to assist groups that help at-risk youth and those with disabilities and debilitating diseases.
“Al Roadburg was a quiet businessman who nevertheless had a presence in many parts of Greater Vancouver,” says Robert Matas, chair of the Al Roadburg Foundation. “The JWest project will create a robust athletic, social and cultural hub that is bound to strengthen both the Jewish community and the broader community across the region. With the Roadburg family’s support for the community in mind, we’re pleased to be part of making it happen.”
Al Roadburg was born in Vancouver in 1913. At an early age, he began working as a scrap dealer. Over the years, he built his business, Richmond Steel Recycling, into a multi-million-dollar recycling operation with the largest automobile shredder in the province. In the 1950s, Al Roadburg began building a portfolio of rental apartments, multi-purpose warehouses, commercial spaces, and office buildings. His company, Broadway Properties, bought and held the buildings, providing security for tenants and stability to neighbourhoods in Greater Vancouver. Al’s son Ronald took over the real estate business after Al’s passing.
The Roadburg family lived as active members of the Jewish community and were successful business leaders in Vancouver. They made decisions that ensured they were charitable through their estates. As a result, with today’s announcement, they have established a legacy that will benefit the city and community where they lived and raised their family.
“We’re immensely grateful to the Roadburg family for issuing this challenge. When the challenge is met, it will represent a profound investment in the Jewish community and the community at large,” said Alex Cristall, JWest capital campaign chair. “To achieve this goal, we will first be meeting with major donors across our community to match this challenge. However, this is a community-wide project, and in due course, we will be inviting everyone to join us in creating a legacy for future generations.”
JWest is the most extensive project in the history of the Jewish community in Western Canada. When complete, JWest will house all programs and services offered at the current Jewish Community Centre in larger, purpose-built spaces. It will feature a state-of-the-art multigenerational community centre with amenities for all Vancouver residents, including expanded childcare, seniors’ services, athletic facilities and arts and cultural spaces. The project will also include expanded space for the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and, in the second phase of construction, mixed-use rental housing and a new home for the growing King David High School with ample space to provide innovative academic, athletic, and extracurricular programming.
In September 2022, the Diamond Foundation donated $25 million, marking the first philanthropic donation to the project, a contribution that was matched by community donors. The remarkable $36 million matching challenge from the Roadburg family foundations demonstrates the continued community support and leadership within Greater Vancouver’s Jewish community and marks the next phase of the JWest capital campaign. Today’s announcement brings the total amount raised to $88 million of the $161 million philanthropic goal.
In addition to community philanthropy, JWest gratefully acknowledges the $25 million in support the project has received from the Government of British Columbia. JWest also thanked the Government of Canada, which recently contributed $25 million to the redevelopment of the JCC.
JWest is the redevelopment and transformation of the 3.3-acre property at West 41st and Oak Street in Vancouver, BC. JWest is a partnership between Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, the Jewish Community Centre, and King David Highschool.
The $450 million dollar project will deliver a state-of-the-art community centre, expanded space for the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, a new theatre, and in its second construction phase, a relocated high school and two residential towers that will provide mixed-use rental housing (a portion of which will be offered at below market rates). The single largest project in the history of the Jewish community on the West Coast, JWest will be brought to life through government support, astute financing and philanthropic efforts within the local community in order to provide an invaluable and welcoming social, cultural, recreational and educational asset for all.
The Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation was created with a focus on strengthening the local Jewish community, the global Jewish community, and helping to develop innovative solutions to challenging societal issues. The Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation was founded by and its board is comprised of Bernard Pinsky, Stephen Gaerber and Jack Bogdonov.
The Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation, founded in 2021 after the passing of local Vancouver businessman Ron Roadburg, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Gurvis as Chief Executive Officer. Gurvis will begin working in February 2022 and the Foundation anticipates beginning its operations and philanthropic work in the second quarter of 2022.
Mark Gurvis served as CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver from 2002 – 2013, and then as Executive Vice President of Jewish Federations of North America through 2020. In 2021 he created Community Network Consulting, LLC, which focused on nonprofit organizations’ strategy, community planning, and organizational development. He brings to this role a wealth of knowledge and expertise about Jewish communal organizations at local, national, and international levels.
The Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation was created with a focus on strengthening the local Jewish community, and the global Jewish community, and helping to develop innovative solutions to challenging societal issues. Over the next few months, the leadership will be sharpening its focus on specific areas of philanthropic investment and establishing its grantmaking policies and practices.
The Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation was founded by and its board is comprised of Bernard Pinsky, Stephen Gaerber, and Jack Bogdonov.
The Al Roadburg Foundation, founded in 1997, supports numerous community groups and organizations in Vancouver responding to food and housing insecurity, health care issues, and challenges facing youth-at-risk and those with disabilities and debilitating diseases. The Al Roadburg Foundation has also been a generous supporter of charities in Vancouver’s Jewish community and in Israel.
The Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation, founded in 2021 after the passing of local Vancouver businessman Ron Roadburg, is run by Mark Gurvis as Chief Executive Officer. Gurvis will begin working in February 2022 and the Foundation anticipates beginning its operations and philanthropic work in the second quarter of 2022. Mark Gurvis served as CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver from 2002 – 2013, and then as Executive Vice President of Jewish Federations of North America through 2020. In 2021 he created Community Network Consulting, LLC, which focused on nonprofit organizations’ strategy, community planning, and organizational development. He brings to this role a wealth of knowledge and expertise about Jewish communal organizations at local, national, and international levels.
The Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation was created with a focus on strengthening the local Jewish community, and the global Jewish community, and helping to develop innovative solutions to challenging societal issues. Over the next few months, the leadership will be sharpening its focus on specific areas of philanthropic investment and establishing its grantmaking policies and practices.