Bold Jewish ideas born at JW3’s first social action hackathon

A solar-powered sukkah, an interfaith podcast series and a mobile support service for those in need were among the bold ideas pitched at JW3 on Sunday, as just under 50 changemakers took part in the centre’s first-ever Social Action Hackathon.

Held in partnership with Jewish News, the day-long event brought together Jewish educators, creatives, tech experts, activists and faith leaders to confront some of Britain’s most urgent social challenges.

Working in five themed teams, participants explored how Jewish thinking might be applied to contemporary issues: bridge-building with other communities, managing internal disagreements, tackling poverty and disconnection, responding to climate change, and navigating AI and digital disruption.

“This is what JW3 should be doing: not talking about ideas, but testing them,” William Galinsky, the centre’s Director of Programming and Impact, told Jewish News, as he led the day’s facilitation.

The goal wasn’t to perfect solutions, but to build live prototypes – ideas strong enough to test and bold enough to back. Notepads filled with scribbles and Post-its as groups moved from discussion to design, supported by mentors from across the innovation and social enterprise world.

The Bridge Builders group tackled one of the most sensitive topics of all: Jewish–Muslim relations in the wake of 7 October. Their conversations, shaped by personal experiences and frustrations with existing interfaith frameworks, centred on the need to move beyond symbolic events and toward sustained mutual understanding.

“We’re not trying to create a lovely day out,” said one participant. “We’re trying to build a bridge that lasts – not a bridge that collapses the moment it’s walked on.”

Their prototype: a podcast series in which Jewish and Muslim guests explore the same theme in parallel – such as grief, motherhood, sacred text or protest – without direct rebuttal. Each episode would be accompanied by guided questions and educational resources to support deeper engagement in schools, youth groups and interfaith settings.

One participant recalled a moment of breakthrough with a Muslim peer: “She said to me, ‘No one has ever explained it to me like that before.’ That’s when I realised this work really matters.”

At the Climate Change table, the team proposed a mobile, solar-powered sukkah – a pop-up structure for Sukkot designed to travel to parks, campuses and festivals. It would feature zero-waste design, solar-powered lighting, and programming that links Jewish values with environmental urgency.

“It’s not just a sukkah – it’s a statement,” said one team member. “It’s about fragility, hospitality, resilience – and using Jewish tradition to spark public conversations about climate.”

The ‘A Poorer Modern Life’ team turned to issues of food insecurity, housing precarity and access to social support. Their pitch: a mobile community resource that connects vulnerable individuals with practical help on employment, benefits, and legal advice.

Their final presentation proposed a solution grounded in the existing work of the JW3 Food Bank but designed to reach wider communities. “It’s about what we need, now – and building something that can travel,” one team member said.

At the Technology and AI table, participants addressed the ethical and communal implications of digital disruption. Their prototype combined a “Torah and Tech” learning toolkit – to help schools, synagogues and youth groups engage with issues like AI and surveillance – with digital literacy circles for older adults.

The final group, ‘For the Sake of Argument’, explored the growing difficulty of constructive disagreement within Jewish communities. Drawing on the concept of machloket l’shem shamayim – argument for the sake of heaven – they presented frameworks to help communal spaces host courageous conversations on politics, identity and Israel without polarisation.

Each group pitched their prototype to a panel of communal stakeholders and funders interested in backing new Jewish social innovation.

JW3 CEO Raymond Simonson said the hackathon marked a new phase in the centre’s mission. “JW3 is proud not only to be the home of Jewish culture and conversation, but also a launchpad for meaningful social change,” he said. “The new JW3 Social Action Incubator will support Jewish changemakers to grow their impact in today’s complex world. I can’t wait to see the ideas and actions it sparks.”

Participants described the event as “invigorating”, “unexpectedly emotional”, and “the most Jewish I’ve felt in years – not just because of the content, but because we’re doing something together.”

Up to 10 ideas will now move forward, each backed by expert mentorship and up to £1,000 in seed funding from JW3 to begin development.

“This wasn’t just a one-off,” added Galinsky. “This is about reclaiming our radical Jewish imagination – and making it real.”