When Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf were drafted back-to-back by the Brooklyn Nets, the media was quick to label the moment as historic - the first Jewish tandem drafted consecutively into the NBA in decades. But again, the headlines alone cannot drive change, as it requires a lot more effort, precision, and continuous dedication. And for Barbara Spectre, the founder of Paideia, The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden, cultural visibility is more than a milestone; it’s a metric that can be calculated. One that must be contextualized, scrutinized, and sustained through real institutional effort.
Barbara Spectre is someone who’s spent a lot of time, in fact over two decades, working at the intersection of Jewish cultural renewal, education, and identity-building across Europe. She looks for moments where she can show her culture to the world, as for her it’s the beginning of a broader conversation. She firmly stands by the fact that visibility without long-term infrastructure means little.
Visibility, as Barbara Spectre suggests, is often mistaken for progress, so if something gains a lot of eyeballs, it’s bound to make a change, but that’s far from the truth, as it’s just a beginning. She says, “A headline does not equal systemic change, but it surely starts a conversation.” Her work at Paideia has not been so much about representation as it has been about leadership, identity, heritage, and culture.
Over 900 alumni from 42 countries have passed through the Paideia Institute’s programs, many of whom now lead Jewish communities, educational organizations, and interfaith initiatives across Europe. For Barbara Spectre, it’s about creating durable systems of education and engagement that allow Jewish identity to exist with confidence in modern civic life.
This is the reason she sees Saraf and Wolf’s draft moment as a defining one, and yet a place where it has the strength and capacity to carry more.
The cultural impact that a draft leaves goes way beyond the court. For Barbara Spectre, it also shows the people that are watching the game. It reflects a young audience who may have never seen themselves in high-profile, global moments. Founding and subsequently guiding Paideia for 25 years has convinced Barbara Spectre that visibility, however short-lived, has the power to spark questions and help lay the groundwork for cultural renewal. Her own work has shown that representation invites dialogue. Whether it’s through Jewish studies, interfaith education, or public service, she is deeply invested in a Judaism that is engaged with the world - one that shows up not only in response to crisis but as an active contributor to cultural life.
Some might call Saraf and Wolf’s back-to-back draft moment a coincidence. But Barbara Spectre of Sweden would call it a sign of what happens when institutions support diversity.
Just as she built Paideia to train the next generation of Jewish thinkers, young leaders, and cultural builders, she sees this NBA moment as a result of decades of effort across many the many sectors - education, advocacy, and community- organizing - in which Jewish life has been quietly yet meaningfully contributing to the public space.
For her, this is more than applause in the moment. It’s about the impact it leaves behind and what it means moving forward. Barbara Spectre believes that you build culture by building people and watching two young Jewish athletes walk onto a global stage shows just how far an idea can travel.
This draft moment comes at a time when antisemitism, particularly in public discourse, has resurfaced in troubling ways. For Barbara Spectre, who has long probed the complexities of post-Holocaust identity in Europe, the symbolism here is critical. Not because it erases past pain but because it shifts the spotlight toward resilience and relevance.
Cultural revival, in her eyes, is not about nostalgia. It's about making a world where people don't hide or say sorry for who they are but instead carry on with dignity. Barbara Spectre believes in building confidence so that everyone can be seen fully whether one is in a classroom in Stockholm or an NBA arena. And she wants to help other people do the same.
As Saraf and Wolf begin their NBA journeys, Barbara Spectre sees an opportunity not just to celebrate their presence but to reflect on what it means. Visibility isn’t the end goal. It’s the beginning of new questions, new dialogues, and new stories yet to be written.
For Barbara Spectre, Jewish culture has never belonged to the margins. It belongs in the main arena because that’s where the next chapter begins.
