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Education for European Jewish Leadership
Paideia - The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden - is a nondenominational academic framework established in 2000 with a foundational grant from the Swedish government. Within an interdisciplinary academic setting, Paideia educates leaders for Europe - academicians, artists and community activists - towards fluency in Jewish sources. In renewing interpretation of Jewish text, Paideia is reviving a European Jewish voice long silenced by Communism and post-Holocaust trauma - a voice that can contribute to a culturally rich and pluralistic Europe.

Where Learning and Excellence Meet
Education at Paideia is characterized by an interdisciplinary conversation with the sources and an awareness of the great diversity of interpretation that has taken place throughout the generations regarding the relevance of Jewish concepts and values. At Paideia, the conversation with the sources, practiced in the form of the classical hevruta technique (study in pairs), becomes a tool for developing leadership with an eye towards a contemporary, pluralistic Europe.

Based in the texts that have served as the matrix of Jewish civilization, Paideia's curriculum establishes and explores an encounter with the arts, academia and community life. In this way Paideia aims to supply its graduates with a language by which they, as leaders, may take part in a dialogue between cultures and religions.

The Paideia One Year Program
Paideia's one year long study program trains an elite leadership by combining intense study of textual sources and a refined applied program. The textual component is taught in association with The Shalom Hartman Institute of Advanced Jewish Research in Jerusalem. The applied program is divided into four tracks - an academic track, an arts track, a Jewish professional track and a general track. Paideia accepts top level university students and graduates that thus far have come from Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia Montenegro, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and Ukraine. Study is done in lectures, hevruta (study in pairs), individual projects and short-term seminars with visiting scholars and artists.

Cultural Events and Open Courses
In conjunction with its study program, Paideia continually stages performances, screenings, lectures, and exhibitions devoted to creative interaction between texts and the arts. The events involve Paideia students as well as outstanding artists and scholars from all over the Jewish world. The Paideia Alumni Association's weekend programs take place in different European cities incorporating text, hevruta study, literature and the arts. Paideia's two week courses taught by visiting scholars from Europe, Israel and the US are open to the general public.

Conferences and Other Programs
Paideia has established a program to deepen knowledge of Jewish sources among the professionals of European Jewish Museums and Schools. Paideia also sponsors a series of high-level conferences of European academicians and other professionals whose work relates to Jewish culture.

THE ANCIENT GREEK WORD PAIDEIA
means the mutual nourishing of learning and culture.

Paideia was founded with grants from:

The Swedish Government
The Swedish Business Community
The Jewish Communities of Sweden

Board of Directors

Academic Committee
Board of Trustees

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Contact Us
PAIDEIA, Box 5053, S-102 42 Stockholm, Sweden
Fax +46 8 661 14 55
e-mail info@paideia-eu.org