Sharon Pardo

This chapter explores the distinctive role of European Jewry in shaping the intellectual and normative foundations of the European integration process. Drawing on the insights of Milan Kundera, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Hannah Arendt, it argues that Jews were long viewed as embodying a cosmopolitan and multilayered form of Europeanness rooted in overlapping identities and supranational belonging. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, this model of plural identity became embedded in the European project. Engaging the concept of the European Union (EU) as a "Normative Power," introduced by Ian Manners, the chapter contends that the Union’s commitment to democracy, human rights, and minority protection cannot be fully understood without recognizing the historical and moral influence of European Jewry, including the idea of serving as a light unto the nations. It concludes by calling for acknowledgment of the Jewish contribution not only as a site of trauma, but also as a source of enduring inspiration for Europe’s normative identity.