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reSee.it AI Summary
In this video, Barbara Spectre discusses Jewish infiltration in America, emphasizing the strong links with Europe and the EU. She believes Europe should combat antisemitism, while acknowledging the challenges faced in establishing Zionism in Israel. Pro-Hamas sentiment and far-right nationalism are concerns, but multiculturalism must continue. Barbara advocates for a united, diverse Europe opposing fundamentalism. The article also mentions antisemitic incidents and Jewish influence in Sweden, suggesting other countries follow suit. Overall, the video highlights the importance of expanding Jewish influence globally.
@Gandalf_DaWh1te - Gandalf TheWhitesOnly
So Apparently This Barbara Spectre Video Came Into Light, And The Js Are Desperate to Purge it. TLDR: >> Jewish infiltration of america happened in the 1950s and is "beatiful", institutions and culture were infiltrated >> After both were infiltrated jews made strong links with Europe and the EU is the strongest ally the jews have >> "it shouldn't be the job of the jews to oppose antisemetism, Europe should do it" >> It was hard to get zionism started in israel because of palestine but once they cleared out the palestenians it became a good stronghold for jews >> pro-hamas sentiment is an issue in the left and jews have many organisations and strategies to counter it (but they don't seem to be working according to Barbara)a >> fall of nazism and communism "liberated" jews so they can influence society in (((capitalist ways))) >> far-right and nationalists are the biggest issue (not explained why) so even if pro-hamas islam is an issue multiculturalism must continue >> Europe should be united and it should be "diverse", there shouldn't be nationalism and Europe should explicitly not about only whiteness >> Frameworks to "oppose fundamentalism" are needed >> Someone in Serbia sent antisemetic letters in the mail to one of the (((panelists))) >> The jews are very worried that the EU will fall because of nationalism and opposition to globohomo > Sweden cucked out by having reparations for Jews and promoting Jews to positions of power even though there was no legal necessity for it but because Sweden wanted to do the right thing, Barbara says more countries should do the same > Most countries should have strong Jewish links and Jewish influence should be expanded everywhere
Video Transcript AI Summary
In this video, the speaker addresses the earthquake that has shaken the Jewish world, focusing on the various Jewish cultures in America, Israel, and Europe. They emphasize the significance of Jewish culture in Europe and the urgent need to revive it. The challenges and threats faced by the European Jewish community, such as populism and the rise of nationalism, are also discussed, with concerns raised about the physical safety and existential crisis of European Jews. However, the speaker finds hope in the strong networks and support within the Jewish community and believes that Jewish thought can contribute to European values.
The complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Europe is explored, with some Jews feeling alienated by Israel's right-wing government while still expressing solidarity against Hamas' actions. The speaker acknowledges the complexity of the Palestinian issue and questions the extent of responsibility borne by individuals. The fear and uncertainty experienced by Jews in France and their struggle to find a sense of home are also mentioned. The conversation then shifts to the Swedish press and its reporting on the conflict, highlighting the influence of social media in shaping opinions and expressing concerns about its impact. The video concludes with a mention of the Paideia program and its accessibility to individuals from different nationalities.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: It's really a pleasure to be with you, and I wanna say a special hello to someone I know, actually.
Speaker 1: I see Paul Lipst. So I wanted to say who I hello, Paul. And, and others, I already feel the the friendly faces. I must say this is not a talk that I expected to give. In fact, it's you know, an earthquake has taken place in the Jewish world.
And it's, difficult to speak about what I did wanna speak about. But I think in order for you to begin to approximate the type of earthquake quake that took place in Europe. I think I have to introduce you to a new Jewish voice in Europe. And then perhaps We can understand the width width and depth and breadth of, what has taken place. I hadn't meant it to be this way.
But as I looked at what I wanted to say to you tonight, I realized everything came in triplets. It comes in groups of 3. I it was unmeaning, but nevertheless, it has no metaphysical significance. This is not the trinity. This is not the Hegelian, triangle.
It's but do keep 3 in mind. And I'll start out with Three things about myself personally because I think it has, it has bearing on what I wanna say. I've lived, almost equal amount of my life in on 3 different continents. I won't tell you how long that is because I know you're quick at numbers, and you'll figure out very quickly. So, but I've spent I was born in the United States, Madison, Wisconsin.
I went to School and graduate school in New York. And then, my husband and I, who's a conservative rabbi, came to Israel in 1966 67, where we spend another third of our lives, first in Ashkelon, then in, Ashkelon, which is now Be rather notorious for what it's had to go through. Ashkelon and then, Jerusalem and now Tel Aviv. And a third of my life, I've spent on the European continent in Sweden. But not only in Sweden, but in Europe per se.
And I say that to give you not just my biography. But to say that if you wanted to ask me what my citizenship is, I have an I pay taxes in all 3. I have Citizenship and all 3. But my true citizenship is Jewish. And from my Jewish perspective, I wanna be able to say to you and say it more than just a visitor.
These are 3 very different Judaisms. I just anecdotally, I can begin to tell you how different the cultures are. I mean, if, for example, let's say you wanna You hear you're in an apartment house in New York, and you hear your neighbor in the hall. You go out. You also wanna go out.
And you and you may be sure an elevator, and you'll exchange some nice and d's. Okay? That's me. In Tel Aviv, you're in an apartment house. Your neighbor is in the hall.
You go out, and you end up probably arguing about politics, takes having coffee and maybe in a really very difficult dispute. In Sweden, you hear a neighbor in the hall, And you wait until they leave before you leave, go through the door. Now you might think this is strange. It's not strange at all. And I'll tell explain it to you a minute.
Let me give you another anecdote. Let's say that in Sweden, in the United States, you wanna have a conversation. You first You end up talking ultimately about yourself, may I say. In Israel, your conversation, you talk about your self. But you talk about yourself in terms of the nation, where I served in the army, what I did.
I was a pioneer. When I Cain came up, what boys I've been a part of. It's always an I that's always a we. In Sweden oh, you end up in and you end up interrupting the next person who's talking. If you're a listener, in Sweden, you neither interrupt nor ever do talk about yourself.
Now why would that be the case? I just wanna emphasize for you how different these cultures are. In Sweden, in fact, it's written in a law into almost a law in the in the novel. One of the laws by which you grow up by is you're no better than anyone else. So do you know what that means?
You grow up thinking, I'm not waiting. I in fact, if I have to put myself forward, that's that's very difficult for me. It's painful for me. And so I listen to others not waiting to talk myself. These are 3 different cultures.
And I wanna make a claim to you that the 3 Jewish cultures are very different as well. Let me use a metaphor. And it If Jewish civilization is a seed, then you take that seed and you plant it in the rich Soil of America. And you watch it begin to flourish. It begins to flourish with institutions and Synagogues and different forms of synagogues and different forms of of organizing ourselves into communities.
In 1955, Will Herbert wrote what was a finitive definitive word called Protestant, Catholic, Jew. You were an American by being a Jew. But in being a Jew, you were also an American. There was no We weren't a minority. That was at least how we perceived it then, certainly in 1955.
And and that. But if you wanted to know what how to in America, let me put it this way, that seed was planted, and you learned how to be a Jew In all sorts of different creative forms, you take that same seed of Jewish civilization and you put it in the sandy soil of Israel. Well, the roots have to go very deep in order to get water. But once they go deep, then you begin to have Something so well rooted in its own soil, and it begins to produce its own culture. And we've had this privilege in Israel of being able to to if if America is the how to be Jewish, we can tell you what it is to v.
Jewish. What it is to create a culture, what it is to speak in your own language and have drama and and poetry And art that is Jewish. And we can become a Jewish what it is to be Jewish. You take that same seed of Jewish civilization, and now you take it and you bring it to the chartered Earth of Europe. Well and as someone who I love very dearly once said, you know what?
We're the grass growing underneath the ashes. I wanna tell you now about Europe. In order to understand the catastrophe that's taken place, this earthquake of October 7, Let's understand not the Europe that you have in your mind or the black and white pictures of the Holocaust but a new Europe. And now I'm gonna speak to you again in 3 In threes. I'd like, if I could, to share something with you.
I'll and that is the new Europe. Hold on just one moment. I don't know why it is paused, but maybe it is. Let me stop the share and start all over. Okay?
Leora, I might have to ask you to do this because for some reason, It's paused for me. My screen
Speaker 2: Okay, Barbara. I just, Okay.
Speaker 1: If you could get on with me, please, Mira. Thank you. Okay.
Speaker 2: Can everyone see my screen?
Speaker 1: There you go. Yes. Okay. I'm just going to put it in PowerPoint mode. Okay.
I want to talk to you about a new Europe. And I'll have to talk to you about 3 contexts for this new for this European Jewry. It's based upon the notion of a new Europe. Okay, Lior? There were 3 things that took place in Europe Postwar, after the war.
The first was, a series of, much under the impetus of the United States, Three, a series of treaties meant to really eradicate the blatant nationalism that had been so destructive to Europe until the the end of the 2nd World War. And to to create a Europe it Started off with the Truman declaration in 1950, which was essentially an economic participation Between, West Germany and France about the sharing of coal and, other resources. Then came the Treaties of Rome, which is, again, basically an economic treaty thing. The definitive treaty was in 1992, the Masoretic, treaty, which is really established with what we know now and hear now as a new Europe. It's called the European Union.
And the European Union's expressed desire was to create a new Europe, a new Europe based upon certain Universal principles of human rights and minority rights and the ability for different cultures To flourish. But for the first time, perhaps, Europe not only to be a place, a continent, but also to be a space, A space where there could be a European identity. It went on the adoption of the euro in 1999, 2002, 2002, and then there were the enlargements And then the Lisbon Treaty in 2007, which essentially established the European Union. K. That was the first stage of a new context.
The second thing that happened in Europe was the fall of the wall in 1988. This, of course, heralded the signal at the End of the Cold War. And it was the collapse of the Soviet Union, or as the quip used to be. You know, remember the, USSR? Well, it's actually US's word.
Because the eradication of the Soviet Union per se, which freed especially the Central European countries To become part of this whole Western alliance. Notably, Poland and Hungary then became part of the, Of the European Union. Something else happened with the fall of the wall, and that was it showed the force of peaceful protest and political change. And it allowed for European integration, accelerated the process of European integration, and it facilitated expansion of the, of the European Union. The last thing too is there was a cultural and social impact.
The fall of the wall Had profound cultural and social impacts of the newfound freedoms, but most of all, on European Jewish existence. For the first time, Jews who might have been afraid to show their identity because of the repression of communism Or the terror of the Holocaust suddenly found that they were able to reassert themselves. We'll get on to that in a minute. The third thing that happened, Lior, if you could talk, in Europe. Lior, Yes.
Is the whole era of reparations beginning, again, much under the the pressure of the United States. Nevertheless, European countries began to come to terms with the role that they had played in the Holocaust and the reparations begin. Now why was that so important for the flourishing of European jewelry? Because among other things, it meant that there was some funding that was available that wasn't before. Something unique took place in Sweden.
Sweden was neutral during the war. There was no need for reparations. There was no legal, Thankfully, there was no loss of life. There was no loss of property. But because of we are the next, Because of the back one, yeah, who do you see on your left?
Then social democrat prime minister, Johan Pershing, and The secretary his, deputy secretary general Jan Eliason. He was able and it's still a bit of a mystery. What he what bothered him was he didn't feel that Sweden was that being neutral was such a virtue. In fact, just the opposite. He felt That Sweden carried a great burden.
It did allow, after all, that we're seeing things. It allowed the transport of Nazi force, forces over Sweden territory into Norway with devastating results for the Norwegian Jews. But over and above that, He felt this moral obligation that Sweden had to do something. But he didn't owe anyone anything as far as legally, as far as compensating them. They didn't exonerate him.
And he began to talk about something else that was lost, not just Tragic loss of life and property. But there was something else lost in European culture, Jewish culture. And he began to talk to the then 2 heads of the community, Gabriel Erwitz, who you also see on your screen, and Lena Posner Prochy. And what was determined was that, an institute would be formed to mandate that would be mandated to reignite Jewish culture in Europe. To my great sometimes distress, just at the time that time I was taking, I took a leave of absence to the Hartman Institute where I was teaching to come and join my husband, who was then already the, chief rabbi who Friedson.
And Eureka, the next step. Paideia, the European European Institute For Jewish Studies in Sweden was formed with. If you wanna have some sleepless nights to become the director of an His mandate is to reignite European Jewish culture. Well, the art what it did do, though, It said it put me those 1st years Emily, you were as well. 1 of the Emily traveled around Europe to try to recruit some Participants and students for this new institute, which was going to reignite European Jewish life.
I, Annalie, she remarkably, She I don't know how you did it, Emily. Recruited. Actually, we gave her and, Noah, Carmela, we gave him Train tickets, Euro rail tickets and said, go out. Do this. And they did.
But as well, I traveled all around Europe. Actually, I don't know why we lost all. But, anyway, all of oh, there we go. People showed up from all sorts of countries. But there was something unusual about these people and who the who came to the institute.
We began to call them the disassimilators. Why that name? Well, they were people that, as adults, We're finding out that they were part of the Jewish enterprise. It was 1 little girl Stand not so much a little, but, not yet. 10 years old standing in the kitchen when her mother from Poland Told her, listen.
You're Jewish, but don't tell anyone. There's a woman, I don't think she's here right now, from Serbia, whose mother actually went to the dentist we call this the root canal story who goes to the dentist. And the dentist says, listen, we're starting up a Oh, Mignon, maybe you'd like to come. And she said, why would I wanna come? He says, because your name is Levi.
She says, what does that mean? She went back home, and they began to look through the past of her now deceased father-in-law, began to understand he was a Jew. She took her little girl with her to synagogue. That girl is now a leader of of, of Jewish life in Serbia. There was someone else who was playing polo in Hungary, and he calls out to the someone in the opposite team, hey, you dirty Jew.
The coach Drags him, pulls him out of the water. He says, you know, we don't use those words anymore. I called his parents. His parents picked him up and he said, you know, we don't say that anymore. Not only that, you're Jewish.
These are people that were finding out that they were Jewish and perhaps because they're European. And Europeans understand Stand that if you're part of a culture, of course, you're literate in that culture. You couldn't be Spanish and not have read Cervantes. You couldn't be French and not have read No year. You couldn't be English and not have read Shakespeare.
I mean, you have to become literate. So these disassimilators, now the next, Began to step forward. Look at who these people are, by the way. They were remarkable. And they wanted To study the or you can go on.
They wanted to study text. They wanted to know what are the texts, What at the close what at the core of the culture? And actually, it so resonated who was with who was then the the, head of our academic committee, Moshe Haberjal, now, I think, heard it again, who wrote a book called People of the, Book. Rather than searching for the essence of duties and shared beliefs and practices that remain constant, though they take superficially diverse forms. I've chosen to focus on the shared commitment to certain texts And their role in shaping many aspects of Jewish life and endowing the tradition with coherence.
In the Jewish tradition, the centrality of text takes the places theological consistency. So to make the 1st mandate of this institute, if it was going to have people reclaim Jewish Life and become creative in it, they had to become literate. They couldn't just be know about Judaism. They had to become literate in it. They had to be Absorb and Annalie was part of that 1st class.
Okay. And then comes now if Something remarkable. If in America, you know how to be Jewish, in Israel, you know what it is to be Jewish. Come to Israel and you can learn why to be Jewish. Because these people could come up with testimonies.
They you could ask them, why did you become Jewish? Why? And listen to some of these testimonies. Okay. Starts out being rather understood.
I'm moral obligation of my Greenpeace. I want to recover what was lost. I'm in search of becoming European beyond nationalism. I should have complete the sentence here. Jews have always been Europeans.
Someone else. I finally feel at home in a culture of complexity and nuance. Oh my goodness. Look at that in the simplicities of today. I feel at home in a culture that sees the richness of dispute.
I want to be part of a religion that honors my doubts. I wanna be part of an antinomian culture. That's a beautiful one. And I thought, oh my goodness. The enlightenment, Leibniz Leibniz hits the Jewish text.
I found my language, says another. I had been the only one asking Questions in my class and someone else. I love the safeguards against fundamentals of the interpretive tradition. Wanna know why to be Jewish? Ask these people.
They had the why. Something remarkable took place with them. And now they what was produced were these literate leaders Who then became creative in reclaiming Jewish culture. We're just going to Leora, you can just browse through. Victoria in Ukraine.
David Stuller from okay. David Stuller from France. A remarkable an architect who Puts up booths where people can study, chevruta with non Jews. Marina in Riga, deputy director of the Jewish Museum. Keep on going.
I mean, there's Ute Steyer, who's now the originally from Germany, actually, now the the rabbi of the Great Synagogue of Stockholm. Lilia, the founder of Juice in Ukraine. Okay. Marcel, those many of you might know him. He's now the head of the JCC, but originally was he's, Linda Bann, also from Hungary, the founder and director of the BBY.
And It goes on and on. Patrick, from Czech Republic, Dagmarah, shaubasi. Go to Aunt Shawaubasi. Go to Venice, by the way. You're gonna find look at the I mean, it goes actually, with so many cards, we couldn't even print them up.
Lior, you can just, Minh okay. Maybe go back for a second. Minh is the cofounder of Khaver and Serbia. By the way, they've had anti Semitic, Paintings on their doors. Nina has gone through a lot.
Pavlina, Marcin. I wanna stop for a second, Marcin, from Poland. When the war broke out in Ukraine, he was on the phone Within the day, organizing, since this is a pan European group now of close to 900 graduates of Of Paideia programs, Marcin got together a whole network of people who began to house the Ukrainians, who transported them, who fed them, who housed them. No one, now the the director of of Paideia. Onward and onward.
Something else, though, happened in 2014. Not only are these remarkable, this this dis assimilating generation Of people who know why why they're Jewish and have become literate. In 2014 Emily, I think you were part of this group, The domestic declaration. We got to they came out with who they let me just read you some of this. We are a group of activists, thinkers, and artists united by a commitment to the renewal of Jewish life and culture in Europe.
In recent years, matters relating to antisemitism, the Shawan state of Israel, have come to decline Jewish interaction with the larger European community. While we acknowledge the importance of these topics, we are also concerned that an exclusive focus on them does not do justice To the richness and breadth of what Jewish life and culture have to offer. We strongly believe, in particular, that Jewish thought and experience can make important contributions To the ongoing endeavor for a more just and democratic Europe. To that end, we propose the following. These are people that feel themselves A part of the European endeavor.
You cannot understand them without understanding that. Now they come up with 4 points. Just I so much I'm so sorry. We have to be short. We see European Jewish culture as Integral to Europe and no less indispensable to Europe's self understanding than, for example, the legacy of classical antiquity Or the ideas of the enlightenment, that the Jewish voice is integral to Europe.
Secondly, What is the center of the life of these people? How do they organize them? Is it the synagogue? Is it is it national parades? Who knows what?
We envision the Beit Midrash, the house of study, as the center of the Jewish community. This is the key element in our project Is to reclaim the Beit Midrashian methodologies in order to engage in texts not simply as as sources of authority, But it's sources of inspiration, questioning, and discovery. Where there are texts, there are always in textual intertextuality texts Beget other texts, including those from other traditions, and call for renewed readings readings and interpretations. We are We're gonna get to the last point, which had me in tears. Number of members by itself, because people always look at Europe and say, oh, but there's so few, Is not an adequate measurement of the vibrancy of by the way, vibrancy of I have to Vibrancy of Jewish life.
What others may read as a weakness in population size is for us an historic opportunity for engagement with our broader communities. The maintenance of a thriving Jewish I can't read that. Signifies the cooperation of people with diverse personal relations and definitions. Four, Jewish thought and experience have important insights to contribute to the European Jewish community. Jewish communities can provide a model for minority citizenship.
This is something that American Jews were never aware of, and that is the Jews in in Europe have always understood that they're part of a minority citizenship based on the principles of integration without assimilation. And this is where the Jews came. Last, not not not least, we believe that Jewish thought can contribute to European Jewish values by providing examples of how universalizing claims are constantly examined in through the multiplicity of voices. Why why did this make me cry? And this is the last 3 to spend with tonight, Theodore.
It made me cry for another reason. There's another. This is the 3rd voice. Not only a third voice because of America, Israel, and Europe. There is a third European Jewish voice.
The first 2 you're very well familiar. Hasidud, who find meaning through experience. There's the Mit Nadim who found meaning through halachan law, but there was also the tradition, the 3rd European Jewish voice, of the Maschilim. You found meaning through thought and philosophy, and you used it to converse with other cultures. It went further.
There were first the maskiline that was from the end of 18th century into the 19th century. Let's quickly do this, And then you'll understand what's being threatened. Okay. That was the Haskelah. These are people like Moses Mendelson, David Friedlander.
Then, there was it was renewed in the, early 19 in the late 19th century through the philosophy To the philosophy in the L'yre house Franz Rosenzweig, Martin Luther, Eugene Rosenstein Husserl, Gershon Cholom. These are luminaries Who believed that Jewish thought has a lot to contribute to the to Europe And the conversation with others. And they became a Jewish intellectual force. And that's what the Glimpzde declaration was saying. We can be a Jewish intellectual movement.
Now can you understand the crisis of October 7th? And this is really a crisis. First of all, is there a Europe? We've already seen the populism that threatens it. The Renaissance has been led by young, mostly liberal.
They're caught in this pincher between the right and the left. I don't know if you've been reading the newspaper in particular. Their self understandings. Right? Yet they have always been aware of themselves.
And, more honestly, I'm talking about Minority state status. And it's always been realistic what happened here. Leora, one final thing, and then I wanna talk actually talk to Emily. I have great fears for this group. I fear for their physical safety.
I won't talk about what is happening in Israel. I fear for their physical safety too. I fear for their existential crisis because there's a loss of there can be, Could be a loss of understanding of their place in society as the GLAMSTIT declarations of minority citizenship. Historically, I fear the loss of that big voice. It's such a precious one.
It's such a unique one. It's that 3rd voice in Europe. Anyway, we're at we've had an earthquake. And, Amalie, If I could really ask you about that, Ruth Blake, and how you see it. You're trained as a reporter.
You're head of The major Scandinavian Jewish journal, the Utica Kronika. And I wanna know what what you see. By the way, we've seen such varying reports about Sweden. We saw that the crown princess Attendance this is Shabbat service. This is Shabbat.
And on the other hand, we've heard about people feeling very threatened. If we could have, for your from your perspective, how do you understand the October 7th and its effect on Swedish jewelry?
Speaker 3: Thank you, Barbara. And thank you everyone who is listening this evening. It's pleasure to to be on this call with you. So just literally a week before, October 7th, the big Swedish book fair, which is one of The Scandinavian country is the biggest, but first, it's not one of the big ones in Europe, actually had Jewish culture as a theme. Paideia was there.
The Jewish Chronicle was there. This other organization called Jewish Culture in Sweden was there. Everyone everyone were there. And, we Celebrated through soft, we had all of these writers from Israel, from the States, from Europe. We had Comedians, there was a Jewish happy hour.
It was I have not experienced a more successful integration with Swedish and beyond, cultural life as during that weekend. And then of course only, you know, a week later, October 7th happened. And the earth is trembling. The the fall from that moment at the book fair, to where we are today is Tremendous. And had it happened the reverse way, I'm I'm not sure if we could have had the the, experience at the book fair.
I'm very happy that we had it. So so today, I have Good girl joining the call here. So today, Just a sec. Again.
Speaker 1: Sorry. Hello. I'm so glad you could join me. Yeah. This is
Speaker 3: sweet dessert. Sasha, it's such a I I can't imagine. We don't have a lot of time. So the the, the very let
Speaker 1: Absa. I'll take her. Sorry. Sorry, guys,
Speaker 3: it's bedtime, bird, it's white. So what I see Is that we are tired of having our existence question? We are in Sweden, having a great support from not just the Royal House, but also, the politicians on governance, which is very clear. And, so my kids go to the Jewish school here, the prime minister came on November 9th, the day of the pogroms in Germany, and just to kind of show his support. But I've never seen an avalanche of hatred so big in social media, In some of the public media houses and some of the chat rooms Especially over, you know, over social media in my lifetime is what I'm experiencing right now.
And it's hard to discern. Right? And what is actually, actually a threat to our physical existence. If we compare to Denmark, which is interesting, the synagogue there has been showered with flowers. There was a big march walking against antisemitism and we haven't quite seen that in Sweden, coming from people, even though the Jewish community certainly sees and feels the support from the government and from, You know, yeah, the king and the queen and their family.
So it's double. It's both.
Speaker 1: Okay. Annalie, thank you thank you so much. I I I have so many more questions to ask you, but I know I'm trying to keep to the, Barbara,
Speaker 4: we can we can have, like, 2, 3 more questions. What
Speaker 1: are your greatest concerns, Emily, at this point. Where what are you most concerned about as far as your future as far as the future of the Jewish community? Where do you see where do you to see it going.
Speaker 3: It feels it feels like the earth is trembling all over. Right? I mean, just the reports coming out of the US the situation in Israel with an extremely split country, before October 7th and now Unity that is there, but we also know with this unity of, of Amichai Al Chaim, there are people in the Israeli society that are being alienated And and what, you know, what will happen after after the war is over and people will start fighting over who's responsible or not and who should go? We don't know that yet. And under the surface, you still have this deep division.
In Europe, I I think I choose to see, the strength in the networks that that have been built, That were so quickly activated, as you mentioned, Barbara, during the Ukraine war, and that now have have geared towards supporting Israeli families coming to Europe. 10 kids started in the Jewish school just last week Through families who left Israel, those decisions were made very quickly.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 3: So I think I think more than ever, there's a feeling of a tight knit community that is global And that will hopefully help each other wherever we are, you know, whether it's in Israel,
Speaker 1: Europe Okay. In this state,
Speaker 3: that gives me strength. And for now, it's so yeah, okay, yeah.
Speaker 1: You know, I know the I have to confess. I mean, we're not supposed to have favorites, but I must say You're just a favorite of of mine and here to to everyone's heart, and you've really been at the forefront of this New European Jewish entity, from the very beginning, from those Europasses on, that we gave you. I I would like to I look. I think there's many reasons to be truly concerned. I would like to end in something, sort of a glimmer of hope.
Leora, I think you'll be able to testify. Leora, made a round of Some of the alumni to and Leora, by the way, maybe you can even show in the the end of the PowerPoint. You Leora made a round of some of the alumni because the thought was, that, of course, everyone would wanna be in conversation with each other. And, and, you asked them, what would you like the subject of of you know, should we Share our agonies, what's going on? And they answered by saying, let's let's study text.
Tomorrow night, there's a sort of mass Stunning of text among the alumni. And I must say, You know, we've been through great crises before, perhaps none greater than in 76 with the destruction of the Second Temple because as Moshe Havertown has put it, until then, the way the way peoples communicated with their gods And we with ours was through watching facts Smoke of the Sacrifice go up to heaven. And when the Temple was destroyed. The question was, how are people going to communicate with God? And step forward, Yokulang Ben Zakkai, who escaped from the then destroyed city of Jerusalem about to be destroyed.
And and he Appeared be before, Vespasian, then the governor of ancient Israel and the Roman governor and soon to be the the, emperor and Roman emperor. And he said he asked for and I know many of you know this. Chachamir. Give me Yavne and its wise men, its philosophers, actually. Give me the chance.
Give us the chance to study. And, as Moshe Habertal once said, you know, when people didn't know where to find god, They found God on the pages of the town. And I can't help but think that this This resilient and remarkable group, a family of which you're, first and foremost, the part, this remarkable European Jewish voice, this will not be quelled. You're anyway, it's with a glimmer of hope. I this is perhaps more prayer than anything.
But I think, now I think we wanna turn to the questions and answers. We we we wanted to give time for everybody to participate in this. And, Lior and Annalie, will you help me with the questions and answers?
Speaker 4: So thank you very, very much. I'm gonna jump right Into questions and obviously I'll be directing them to you, Barbara, and you decide if you wanna, pass them on to either Lee or Aneli. So I'll go back a little and I'll ask a little bit more about Paideia. Like, who funds it? How many current Students, do you have is it happening these days in person or online?
What is the focus of, your study? Is it more Bette Midraste style or more speakers? So if you can
Speaker 1: just give a little more about, Paideia itself. Gladly. We, we're presently in session in person. Paideia now has a branch as well, which It's called the Focal School, which is a it's a college of higher learning, which is geared for Swedes. There's some 600 Participants in that alone.
But the pi the core Paideia program is the 1 year program, which gives perhaps the most intensive, course in Jewish literacy on an MA level, 16 semester courses in 1 year. People come from all over Europe for that, and it's taught by the the, supreme teachers, each of whom gives a 2 week course. Now we learned something very secret. Anybody on the highest level in the university, the professors, can take off for 2 weeks. They come Come to Sweden, so we're able shh, don't say.
So we're able to get the best, Yair Zakovich, Victor Scheinan from Midraj. I mean, if you know these names, so we run the gamut of the best 16 intensive liter literature Of course, it's in Jewish literature. And then we have what Lior has been a part of, the project incubator. People wanna know now how to become activists. Neora's been a part of that.
There's something else called the Paradigm program, which takes seriously this notion of, Jewish European intellectual movement. And we have a week of sort of an intensive philosophic, immersion. And, and who funds it? Uh-huh. Originally, it was founded Through a grant of the Swedish government that was rather remarkable.
Unfortunately, it was a onetime grant, and we were on our own. Actually, people responded. I did a lot of time in fundraising in the States, which was really rather remarkable because In fundraising conversations. And so we were able to do that. Right now, a great deal of our funding comes from the European Union Because they see us as the quintessential European project, that we promote a European identity, which is You know?
And as they say, Jewish identity has been the European European identity. So, the EU for a great extent. Now the Swedish government as well gives a grant. Unfortunately, it doesn't cover everything. We still the Focal School, it is funded by the government.
We still do fundraising. And, actually, as someone once said to me, you know, thank you for allowing us to Participating this. I think it's a remarkable thing to see who these people are. More about the program, 9 close to 900 graduates all over Europe. You can find them just scratch the surface, and you'll find them.
And a strong alumni network. By the way, yearly conference throughout Europe. You're invited this year. It's going to be where, Annaly? I forgot where our conference is going to be.
In any case, we that wasn't it might be in Croatia. In any case, we haven't Soloniki. Soloniki. It's right. So we're gonna we're gonna go Greek, which is now, by the way, a lot of his control contained in the word paideia.
Paideia is a Greek term. But that was a Greek concept that Alexander the Great brought to the ancient Near East That said, you know what? If you wanna become they couldn't control all these all these cultures, so they gave a way for people to Become Greek, and that was through studying Greek texts. That was Paideia ben sera in the 1st century before His common error. Took that notion and formed the first.
Paideia is a big rebarish, but we used this European word, Haidea Teshot that we're dedicated to the enrichment of the conversation between Europe and Judaism. We learned our Beg Midrash is really because there were Greek there was Greek paideia. So there's a lot just in the word itself. You don't have to one of the one of the acceptance questions, by the way, to become accepted in paideia is spell it.
Speaker 4: Well, I put it also in the chat so people can,
Speaker 3: can can feel safe
Speaker 4: from that now. There there are many questions, so I'll try and, pick and choose, and combine some of them. If you can say a little about who are the groups In Europe that you find more supportive of, the Jewish community these days? Who are the other groups that are feeling more Alienated, obviously, that includes some questions about the Muslim presence in Europe. And if also you can give Some, like the difference that Annalie mentioned between Denmark and Sweden is fascinating and I mean, thinking of the march that was in France Couple days ago, so if you can also mention a little bit of the of the differences that you're, seeing around Europe in these different groups supporting or, not supporting the Jewish community.
Speaker 1: Listen. I think, in no small sense, The threat to the Jews is a threat to Europe as well. We're seeing it come from both sides. We're seeing it come, I think the greatest danger, to Judaism in Europe is from the side of, of populism, On the right, of the rebirth of nationalisms. Of after all, pop populisms don't exist without an enemy.
And the classic enemy of Catholicism has been the Jew. We're the elite, Quintessentially, sometimes by choice. We're you know, we we we engage in thought, among other things. I think that's a tremendous threat. I think Europe is under threat as well.
I'd like to Go ahead.
Speaker 2: I just wanna add something because I just did a survey of many of our alumni, specifically those in The hot spot cities. You've all been reading the news and watching both local news, but also, what's going on. And we can see France, and we can see Berlin, and we can see, London. And so we chose alumni from and Amsterdam, some of those cities. And Well, I just wanna say one thing about the Muslim Jewish, relations.
And what I noticed in the series of mapping out in interviews was where there was a relationship that had been created, that existed, and was somewhat strong and tried prior to, October 7th, after an initial 2 week waiting period of breathing and not wanting and and this dance of who's gonna call who first and it's uncomfortable. And what are we gonna say? And what are they thinking? What is the other side thinking about me? Most of those, relationships, lasted and were and were healthy and were soothing to both sides.
Not immediately. It took it took a few weeks, but they, and and we've seen these sometimes it's institution to institution. Sometimes it's a grassroots social innovator with another grassroots social innovator who have done things together. Sometimes it's, on the religious level where, a a mosque has been doing something traditionally with the synagogue, During holidays, during sukuk, during, during Ramadan, and they were able to weather this, as delicate as it is. And where there was no relationship, Then there's a vacuum, and that vacuum is also dangerous because as Barbara's saying, a, You know, it's all a matter of who's next in line.
And, one of the interviews I had was, in London Well, they were saying that, many of the, let's say, white supremacist, white supremacist thugs were coming out in the street, And all of a sudden, the Jewish community was like they were coming out to say England for England, but they were a counter protest to the Palestinians. And the Jews were saying, wait a sec, but they're not on our side. You know, it's it's kind of a counter protest, so it should be, oh, if they're against The, you know, pro Hamas or pro Gaza, so it should be on our side, but it's not. And so this is a Very delicate kind of spiraling thing where where where the the relationships are being figured out and the alliances of who's Who who's really looking after kind of a a liberal voice of how Europe should look, which would should be usually traditionally should be good for the Jews. Right.
Barbara, I just wanted to kind of add that part from the interviews.
Speaker 1: No, good. I think, I
Speaker 3: mention in Sweden, we've seen a kind of scary, joint action by the Swedish Cultural community which always has felt that Israel is uncomfortable to touch, like they'd rather just not deal with Israel, than than, at all because they feel they feel uncomfortable with with what might happen if people associate Different cultural institutions, with Israel. And of course, with the current Israeli government, that has become even more difficult. So it's it's, in a sense, the worst time For this to happen, so the discourse in Sweden now is is quite toxic with a very one eyed pro Palestinian movement which has very little empathy For the massacre and for, for what Israelis went through, he joined together with with kind of the the cultural left. So that that is we we don't know how that would play out still, actually.
Speaker 4: So, another and, again, I'm I'm trying to combine questions here. Are you able because you're in the unique Position of having people kind of spread across, Europe. Are you able to kind of see the if there's a gap or difference between what we're seeing on social media And what's happening on the ground? Because there are protests like, for Israel, supporting Israel. There are also things that are happening.
How would you describe the relationship, Or if you're able to to see the differences between what we're seeing, in social media and online and what we're seeing on the ground or what's happening on the ground.
Speaker 1: Look. It's as Annalie already indicated, I think we all become aware that social media can really be quite toxic. And there's always the question, to what sense is this representative of of is there a social media reality, and is there a reality? And does 1, of course, cause another? We're always also afraid to what what is being nourished by the social media.
How much would take place without it. That's become a moot question. I think it's it's one that, humanity is gonna have to deal with altogether. But, but I think I think that that the the reality out there, it it's very as Leora indicated, I think that it's very complex. I think that there are some Jews in Europe that are Extremely alienated by the right wing government of Palestine.
That, in other words Palestine of is of Israel. And I think that, That there on the one hand, a total solidarity of of being appalled by the massacre when more It's just and the condemnation of of, Hamas. I think too that we have To be a little bit more refined as we speak as well. What we've seen, by the way, and I think people wanted to deny, We saw the jihad manifesto. We saw that they their challenge is to kill Jews.
And there's no kill Jews altogether, in Israel, wherever they could be. And I think that must be fought, and it must be condemned, and that must be unilateral. And that is not complex. The question in the Palestinians becomes complex. Do people suffer?
Do can we reach out to them even though in a Since they've allowed the Hamas to take place, to what extent do those people bear responsibility? That's where the complexity comes in. And of course, you see people and Jews lining up, some feeling quite as 1 by the way, 1 person that Lior Interviewed said, you know, I'm this is someone from France. I'm frightened enough to feel that I wanna go to Israel, But I'm alienated enough from what's taking place in Israel to feel that that can't be my home. So I'm gonna stay where I am.
There's dangers wherever I am. That's a complexity. Here's someone who will and by the way, she's she's a a a great Jewish leader in and of herself. And on the one hand, she's frightened by what's happening in France. And by the other, she can't really feel at home, honestly, in Israel because of the present, the present government.
Isn't that now there we are as Jews, by the way. Remember that person who said, you know, I abhor simplicity? Well, Guess what? Congratulations. We have all the complexity we we could want, and and more so.
We'll sort this out. I think that the battle is far from over. I think the question of the hostages makes everything sort of suspends all moral judgment. Everybody He's sleepless in Israel, certainly, and I think around the world. This this is a horror that we are collectively experiencing That I think is, you you this is a collective, horrifying experience.
We're having a collective nightmare. How we emerge from it is yet to be seen. We don't the battle is not open.
Speaker 4: Thank you. Just before I Give Ari the the mic. I do wanna ask 1 small question that came up here and I think is very relevant and It's, what do you think about the way, the Swedish press is reporting and, commenting about the war, because we have Annalie here. Annalie, Annalie.
Speaker 1: Annalie, can you give you the answer?
Speaker 3: Well, my my husband is part of that Swedish press. He just returned from Tel Aviv where he was reporting for the Swedish public radio. We have a wonderful Palestinian colleague who's reporting for the TV, channels. And I'd say, quite objectively, they're doing a wonderful, remarkable job, Holding humanity, in this case, holding both narratives or all the narratives because there are several. So as a journalist, I would say I I definitely say that the traditional media outlets are are doing just fine and very well.
Now I'm not sure that's, That's the the different groups experience it that way. I think from from both the Jewish side and from the Palestinian side, they feel that It's not enough on their own side. But as a journalist, I feel they're they're doing a very good job. In terms of What you mentioned before, Cheryl, the social media, TikTok, for example, which is the the strongest outlet of news For young people, it's a totally different story. And that is what what scares me really.
We just interviewed for our magazine, 3 9th graders in the Jewish school, and the stories they told about what's going on on social media are quite horrifying.
Speaker 4: Thank you. So, Ari, if you can, join us.
Speaker 5: Yes. Even though sometimes even though many times Chirell is leading the program, I'm always in the crowned, working, and listening, so I've been listening to this one in particular because I've heard of Paideia for many years since we've hosted As our 1 month school in residence at CSP, Yair Zakovich, Avigdorshinan, Paul Lipps. So we have an overlap overlap of scholars. So first quick question, though. Is Paideia only open to Europeans?
Does that include Israelis and as Europeans? But what about Americans? Can Marion Barakic get on, with faith on an airplane and fly to Paideia and study with you guys, or is it only Europeans? That's the first question. Then I have a a more Substantive question about current politics.
Speaker 1: Well, there's a very practical answer to that. Americans can and do participate, But they're not subsidized. Europeans are subsidized.
Speaker 5: Okay.
Speaker 1: Okay. Because that No worries.
Speaker 5: Marian and Faith, They'll take care of their own feasts, and we'll put them on
Speaker 1: the table. Surprised? What? Alright. Well, not we Israelis have been no.
Because we feel there are ways for Israelis to be educated well, Jewishly as well. In other words, there are alternatives for them. It's true. It's not the exposure to, to the European entity, and and we're sorry about that, but for the same reason. In other words, our priority is to Reignite European Jewish culture.
And, and so and I think we're doing a a remarkable job. Americans do participate in the paradigm program. And right now, Josh Hollow from HUC wants to perhaps even import the, their program to, to the US, which is Really quite remarkable. Like I say, it's an intellectual movement. And, I think it's really it's the 3rd European voice.
Glad to see it spread.
Speaker 5: Well, our honoree, Ingrid, who's on, doctor Schilling is on, And he's from Sweden, has won a CSP ticket. We go on adventures. He's want us to go to Sweden. So if we go to Sweden, we will come and spend time Newmont. At your institution.
Speaker 1: You must by the way, let me let me add something else. Actually, you don't have to go anywhere else in Europe. You can meet you can You can meet all of Europe and Sweden. So how's that? We'll, let's see.
Speaker 5: That that adds that adds to us. We just got back from Spain. So in a in a private conversation or follow-up, I'm Rather, just to see what you guys have achieved in Spain because we didn't see too much. We saw in Madrid Madrid and Barcelona.
Speaker 1: We were right.
Speaker 5: Barcelona. Yeah. We went to the Atid community.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 5: But that, you know, we we I would like to have met a few more people. We did not get to meet people.
Speaker 2: So there's a huge activist Hub of, of Jewish social entrepreneurism that is Basically out of a place called Mosaika, which are all of our alumni who have, like, kind of created a club there and a 101 different Sub, projects going on. So, a
Speaker 5: Well, we need to talk because we didn't see that. And that that was something we missed. I will tell you that. Yep. Go ahead.
Speaker 1: No. Let's do it the other way around. You tell us where you're going in Europe, and we'll tell you who to meet.
Speaker 5: I believe, unofficially, we're going to go to Germany, next Paul in November, and the the theme is re, like, roots and rebirth, Germany then and now, and we're gonna be in Frankfurt, the shum cities, Nuremberg and Berlin. And the goal is to go back to medieval Jewish history, the origins of Ashkenaz, all the way up to contemporary German, social issues with respect to Israel and the holocaust and meet, German Jews who are involved in, reshaping shaping Jewish experience in Germany. So I'm sure you guys have have you can help us on that.
Speaker 1: Yes. We do.
Speaker 5: So the question is, and I feel like it's missed. I live in America. I I live in Irvine. I feel I feel very safe here. We have people who are very I I mean, everyone should be vigilant, and I think Europeans maybe more so than Americans.
But I think we've also read so much that people are very worried here, And people are posting things like this is what it's felt like in Europe in the 19 thirties and so on. And I just fundamentally disagree with that, particularly since I I read the news, watch the news, and Annalie pointed out that the governments are against all of these things that are going on. This is not Europe of the 19 thirties. The government And I think a story that people really missed is the fact that 150,000 people showed up to march in France against antisemitism, and I just wanna get your thoughts on How come so many people showed up and what that means to all of you?
Speaker 2: I wanna take a crack, and then Barbara will Probably put a umbrella on it, but I do wanna I don't wanna be, naive in what's going on in Europe and nobody wants to. There's unlike in the 19 thirties where it was the government who was leading the antisemitism, Here we really have, and this goes back to Barbara's lecture about the European Union and the role the European Union is taking in Fighting antisemitism in funding projects about holocaust education in a very innovative fashion about taking this on is this is not a Jew. Jews do not have to fight anti semitism or they shouldn't be in the front of it. In Europe, it is a a a national problem That we as governments have to take on. At the same time, the population Is many.
I'm not saying all, but there's pop there's populist movements that are very anti Sema, Semitic and or, and and and they're coming and they're not in favor of their governments. There's there's governments are kind of tiptoeing or, you know, coming up with Clarity, but also all of a sudden saying, oh, maybe I took 2 steps forward. How is this gonna hurt me in the elections? Where are things going? So, Barbara or Annalie, both of you, take it and give it a framework.
But that that's I think we gotta realize there's kind of a push me, pull me thing going on there.
Speaker 1: K. Ari, I think you pointed out to Beginner, and, Leor, you expanded on it. I think the fact that the government this is not, of course, I think, Europe of the thirties, the forties. These, the governments are are in full support. However, Again, the rise of populism in Europe, which is, again, nationalist movements, Anti elite.
Always with a with a a victim, you know, a a despised group, Traditionally, Jews for many reasons, I think this is a real threat. I think we have to But I was I think we have to be afraid for Europe. And if if the European Union falls, then I think we're in a different situation for Jews. I think it sounds now they're they're they're one of the best allies the Jews have had And as are the governments. And I think it's been I think it's been remarkable.
I think it's heartening. And I think, hopefully, we can Wait for this wave of social media to just go go out. You know? Let let the tides go out. But it's is it dangerous?
Yes. Is it threatening? Yes. Annalie, what's your feeling? Annalie?
Speaker 3: So just to tie into the social media wave.
Speaker 1: I can hear you. Now you
Speaker 3: the social the social media wave the social media wave, Scares me because platforms such as Fridays for Future, Greta Greta's platform, if you know her, she's influencing, you know, masses environmental activists, they've really taken a stand in this conflict, which of course is upsetting some people in terms of, You know, they they care about the environment, but they don't want to be dragged into politics. But the fact that so many young people across the globe are influenced this idea of decolonialization and that Israel is a colonializing project and that Jews are these white People who are doing these to to Palestinians, I think is a real issue that I hear in the discourse of of many people at the moment. And I think social media in that sense has more impact than we maybe want to imagine or envision. In terms of France, it's interesting. I I used to live there.
I should have followed it more. I'm thinking if if I'm thinking freely now, but I think the massacre that Hamas, committed committed kind of made their masks not only to Netanyahu or to Israelis, but possibly also to, to to people in Europe And in France. And there have been a lot of anti Semitic acts in France, for for decades now where, families have been shot and killed. Elderly people have been murdered. There was a French, young woman being stabbed as she opened her door Yeah.
You probably read all these in the news. This has been a real issue in France. And and I'm hoping that people have had enough, You know, and kind of seeing that, the kind of antisemitism that Hamas is promoting, has a global potential and It's scary and it's not just about territory. It's also about Jews and wherever they are. So hopefully hopefully some people are waking up and starting to call out, Hamas and its ideology for what it is.
I've got a question too, in the chat before that was beautifully written in Swedish. So it's someone who speaks Swedish here in the audience. It was a question about Malmo, this infamous town in the south of Sweden, who who used to have a mayor, who was Anti Semitic. He didn't think so himself, but definitely his statements were which meant that any kind of work, you did it you should see also that Malmo has large Muslim population, a lot of immigrants, every time anything happens in Israel, Palestine, it it has an explosive effect In Malmo. And and the the the Jewish community there is extremely small.
It's a few 100 people used to much bigger before. People are leaving town not only to seek out a more invigorating Jewish life, richer Jewish life, because the communities are small, but also because of antisemitism. However, especially Malmo has gone through a journey where, where the It's still a socialist, leadership of the city, but they've really taken antisemitism seriously. There was a project project called Amanna, with the town Imam, and a very, spiritual and thoughtful rabbi from Israel became. This started a lot of dialogue work.
And for a long time things evolved to the better in Malmo. And the Jewish community got a more positive presence In the city, the last thing I heard from Amana was that its work was stopped from October 7th because the imam immediately, went out on social media and supported Palestine. And so it's come to a halt. I don't think it's, I don't think it's over. That's what I asked.
I called the rabbi and asked and he said it's just on pause for now. But I know that there are a lot of trust issues, because of the statement from the imam. And I also know that a lot of the religious leaders in the Stockholm Jewish community, are surprised That no Muslim community in Sweden officially, has come out to, to denounce the acts of Hamas in a public way. Individuals have, yes, but it hasn't happened in an organized way. And I think a lot of people feel heartbroken about that.
Thank you.
Speaker 4: We need to wrap up. We're quite Over time, I I wanna, first of all, thank you very, very much for sharing what is not only, like, life work and politics, but also obviously Very personal. I'm kind of thinking how to end on a on a on a a hopeful note. I will say that to me, it's very it's fascinating to see how it how what's happening is also clarifying the deep connections Of the Jewish community across the world, between the US and Europe and Israel, something that I think, Hasn't been maybe as, clear, in the last decade and I think, it's It it has become very clear and I think that's very special. And I do wanna also say that possibly supporting localized face to face, Humans to humans meetings and interactions is the best way to counter, the horrors of social media.
So I wanna thank you for opening this with us, for being with us here, for sharing what you see. I'm sure we'll meet again in, more talks And context. Thank you everyone for joining. Your presence is always a pleasure, and we look forward to seeing you in future programs. Toda ladda.
Thank