What would a truly just and livable Jewish city look like? In this hands-on workshop, we’ll explore that question by engaging with traditional Jewish texts—from discussions of city planning to halachic principles about fairness, access, and communal responsibility—and applying them to the urgent challenges facing our communities today. Together, we’ll “build a city” from the ground up: designing sustainable, equitable, and halachically grounded urban spaces. Along the way, we’ll reflect on how ancient wisdom can guide real-world change in the places we live.

Noah Slovin works as an Urban Planner around sustainability and climate resilience. He previously worked as an outdoor educator at Camp Ramah in New England and the Teva Learning Center, where a game of Build a City changed his life. He lives in Somerville with his wife Naomi and son Z'ev.