Founding Director Barbara Lerner Spectre has written a book about Paideia’s beginnings, Paideia – The History of an Idea. We asked her three questions about the book.
1. What inspired you to write “Paideia – The History of an Idea”?
“A sense of responsibility outweighed inspiration. As a graduate student, I was privileged to befriend Professor Hugo Bergman, whose conviction that Jewish and European philosophy could enrich one another was unwavering. He was among the last of his European generation… literate in Jewish sources, in conversation with thought of others. His voice endures as an insistent whisper that the conversation of enhancement must continue.. ‘Paideia’ embodies that spirit.”
2. Did you learn something new/surprising about Paideia in your research for the book that you didn’t know about? If yes, can you tell us?
“The learning was so vast that at times I feared I could not write. How Sweden – a nation with little obligation for Holocaust reparations – emerged as a leader in Remembrance is a remarkable testament to how ethical values and ideas can empower individuals. The leadership of the era, notably Prime Minister Göran Persson, and the Swedish Jewish community’s leadership of Gabriel Urwitz and Lena Posner-Körösi – all discerned that education stands as the greatest reparative act. I remain astounded by their conviction.”
3. What do you hope readers will take away from reading the book?
“I hope that the book will testify that ‘Paideia’ is an idea, not only an institute. It was through the influence of that idea, ‘paideia’, in ancient Greek culture that the seminal institute of Jewish learning, the Beit Midrash, emerged. What I hope will endure is a belief, presently embattled, that genuine dialogue and understanding can and must flourish. When cultures bear confident, in-depth knowledge of their own tradition, they can engage in conversations that enrich both each other and themselves, to which the idea of ‘paideia’ gives testimony.”
Picture: Shendl Copitman