A New Jewish Voice: Europe - Paideia

The contemporary Jewish story has three voices: the mass immigration to the Golden Medina from the old country, the Holocaust and the birth of the State of Israel, and the third only now is beginning to be heard. It is the story of post-Holocaust Europe. It has its own compelling narrative, its own perspectives, and its potential to contribute to the choir of Jewish civilization. With the fall of Communism came the awakening of the third narrative and the past 30 years since have brought a Renaissance of Jewish culture and heritage, together with a focus on regaining Jewish literacy. Recently the European Union has become an active partner in this movement and with it a new European voice, crossing traditional national borders. Barbara Lerner Spectre, the Founding Director of Paideia, previously served on the faculty of the Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, teaching Jewish Thought and co-founding the Seminary of Judaic Studies. Renowned for her research in post-Holocaust theology, she has been honored with a grant from Yad V’Shem Institute. Barbara has authored significant works, including “A Theology of Doubt“ and co-wrote “A Different Light: The Hannukah Book of Celebration“ with Noam Zion. Among her many accolades, she received the Max M. Fisher Prize for Jewish Education in 2007, the ICRF “Women in Action“ award in 2008, the Abraham Geiger Medal in 2016, and in 2018, was honored with the King’s Medal from Sweden’s King Carl Gustav XVI for her remarkable contributions to Jewish culture both in Sweden and internationally.