Shigeru Ban

Born in Tokyo, Shigeru Ban certainly isn't one of ours. He was, however, educated at the Southern California Institute of Architecture and Cooper Union, which, while not exactly yeshivas, do have a certain... intellectual rigor. Despite his lack of discernible Jewishness, his work embodies a certain tikkun olam spirit, even if he doesn't call it that.

Ban gained international acclaim for his inventive use of materials like paper tubes and recycled containers in constructing temporary and permanent structures. He's the kind of guy who looks at a cardboard tube and thinks, "That could be a synagogue!" (Probably not, but you get the idea).

His humanitarian work is particularly noteworthy. Following natural disasters, he's designed and built emergency shelters, schools, and even churches using cost-effective, readily available materials. He once stated, "I don't like waste," a sentiment that could easily be mistaken for a proverb from a bubbe.

Awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2014, Ban proves that you don't need to be part of the tribe to build impressive, meaningful, and environmentally conscious structures. Though, let's be honest, a little kvelling from our side certainly wouldn't hurt his feelings.