Tel-Hai, recently approved as the University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee, announced a CAD $50 million donation from the Vancouver-based Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation to help expand the institution as Israel’s north moves from prolonged displacement toward recovery.
The donation, described by the institution as the largest in its history, will support the establishment of the “Roadburg Campus,” with an emphasis on applied research in artificial intelligence, sustainable agriculture, and community resilience, according to a statement released by the university.
The announcement follows the Council for Higher Education’s late-January decision to grant the former Tel-Hai Academic College university status under the name “Kiryat Shmona University of the Galilee.”
University President Prof. Eliezer Shalev said the investment would strengthen the institution’s role in regional growth as it prepares to expand academic programs and capacity.
Galilee’s recovery through higher education, research
Stephen Gaerber, a director of the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation, said the timing reflected an effort to back the Galilee’s recovery through higher education and research, according to the statement.
The foundation was established in 2021 through the estate of Vancouver businessman Ronald Roadburg and has supported projects in the Jewish community in British Columbia, as well as initiatives focused on issues such as addiction and climate action, according to the foundation’s website.
Tel-Hai also pointed to longstanding ties between communities in Canada and the Galilee, describing the gift as a cornerstone contribution as the university begins operating under its new status in the coming academic years.