Michael Ettedgui is the Founder and Executive Director of Yaldeinu. In late 2007, following a fact-finding mission to the Jewish communities of Latin America, Mr. Ettedgui's already burgeoning desire to make Jewish education in the Diaspora accessible to every Jewish child prompted him to launch the institution in memory of his late grandfather.

Known for his commitment to the Jewish people and protection of their shared values, Mr. Ettedgui has been intimately involved in communal affairs for some years. In addition to Yaldeinu, Mr. Ettedgui serves as a consultant to the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies where he has developed some of the organizations important programs and initiatives. In his capacity at the Wiesenthal Center, Mr. Ettedgui frequently addresses community forums, university students, educators and law enforcement on matters of tolerance and Holocaust education as well as security issues. He has co-authored two volumes of Digital Terrorism & Hate, an annual report published by the Wiesenthal Center and is considered to be extremely knowledgeable in the arena of contemporary hatred and terrorism on the Internet. Mr. Ettedgui is in frequent contact with senior law enforcement and government officials regarding these issues.

In his capacity at Yaldeinu, Mr. Ettedgui continues to visit troubled Jewish communities throughout the world and develop programs of assistance to meet their unique and critical education needs. He has close, personal and professional relationships with communal practitioners in various countries - an additional benefit which gives Yaldeinu distinctive perspectives on the projects it overseas.

Mr. Ettedgui's education includes a Bachelors degree in Political Science specializing in Middle Eastern studies from York University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. While in Jerusalem, he served as a research intern at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and was credited for his contribution to a scholarly article published in the George Washington International Law Review.