When a university has produced multiple Nobel Prize winners, Israeli prime ministers, and influential global figures across every field imaginable, there is good reason to be proud.
This pales compared with the pride that the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has for one of its founding members, Albert Einstein, who bequeathed to it his personal library and works.
In the heart of the university’s Givat Ram campus, nestled among shelves lined with books spanning history, philosophy, and culture, lies an extraordinary witness to one of the 20th century’s greatest minds: the Albert Einstein Archives.
Einstein’s intellectual legacy has found its eternal home at the Hebrew University, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this week. It is a story of scholarly passion, political commitment, and a profound connection to Jewish identity.
A cultural renaissance in Jerusalem
The Albert Einstein Archives has more than 80,000 documents, many in Einstein’s own handwriting. They reveal a man far more complex and interesting than the iconic physicist the world knows.
“Einstein was not just a scientist,” Prof. Hanoch Gutfreund, the academic head of the Einstein Archives and former Hebrew University president, told The Jerusalem Post. “He was a global citizen deeply committed to justice, learning, and the Jewish people’s aspirations.”
Einstein’s journey to becoming a cornerstone of Hebrew University began in the tumultuous early 20th century. As antisemitism rose in Germany post-WWI, he found himself increasingly drawn to the Zionist movement. In 1919, Einstein joined a cause that would define much of his later life: supporting the establishment of a world-class research institution in Jerusalem.
His commitment was more than symbolic. Working closely with future Israeli president Chaim Weizmann, Einstein advocated for a university that would prioritize research over mass education. This vision of a research-first approach that would eventually shape the institution’s global reputation was radical for its time.
The university’s founding document, preserved in the archives, attests to a broader mission. It was not just about academic excellence but about creating a “spiritual direction” for the Jewish people, Gutfreund said. Einstein saw this as more than an educational project; it was a cultural renaissance.
His personal library, now part of the university’s collection, tells a remarkable story. Far from a typical scientist’s bookshelf, it includes first editions of the Encyclopedia Judaica, volumes on philosophy, and correspondence with global leaders, such as Mahatma Gandhi. Books about Mount Everest sit alongside treatises on Jewish history, reflecting Einstein’s voracious intellectual appetite.
Einstein’s connection ran deeper than academic interest. His Jewish identity, he often said, was not rooted in religious observance but in core principles: the pursuit of justice inspired by prophetic traditions, the love of learning for its own sake, and a belief in the Jewish national identity.
This commitment was tested repeatedly. When the Nazis rose to power, Einstein was already in the United States. Warned not to return to Germany, he used his global platform to speak out against antisemitism and advocate for nuclear disarmament.
Einstein’s personal papers reveal a man who saw science as a tool for human understanding, not just technological advancement.
His guest lecture at the Jerusalem campus in 1923 before the university opened became legendary. Delivered mostly in French, with an introduction in Hebrew and with 2,000 attendees packed into the hall, it was more than a scientific presentation; it was a moment of cultural significance. Newspapers at the time described hearing “the wings of the angels of history” in that room.
The university’s archivists see their role as more than just preservation, Gutfreund said.
“We have a responsibility to ensure Einstein’s legacy isn’t just remembered but is understood in its full complexity,” he said.
That complexity is evident in documents revealing Einstein’s prolific correspondence, including up to eight handwritten letters in a single day to scientists, politicians, and ordinary citizens. He was a global citizen who believed in a world government, in nuclear disarmament, and in the power of intellectual exchange.
Einstein’s bequest to the Hebrew University was not monetary. Instead, he gave something far more valuable, his intellectual legacy. More than 80,000 documents, many in his own hand, became a bridge between scientific brilliance and cultural memory.
This unique and invaluable collection includes Einstein’s will, as well as both the special and the general theories of relativity – theories that changed the world and still influence us in our daily lives.
“His general theory of relativity is the source of everything we know about the universe,” Gutfreund told the Post. “Such concepts as black holes, gravitational waves, the expanding universe – all these concepts follow from these 46 pages. It is a revolutionary understanding of time and space.”
Today, as visitors enter the university’s archives, they encounter more than historical documents. They witness the story of a man who saw science, culture, and human rights as interconnected pursuits. Einstein’s library and papers are a reminder of one of the true geniuses of all time, Gutfreund said.
The university is building a new building for the archives, Beit Einstein. A cornerstone was placed before the October 7 massacre, but construction has been paused due to the Israel-Hamas War.
“We intend to build a house that will act as a museum,” Gutfreund said. “We do not call it a museum but Beit Einstein, because it reflects his identity, something more personal than just a museum. Then the archives will have a permanent home that will be open to the general public.”
The Hebrew University is the custodian of Einstein’s multifaceted legacy – a place where scientific revolution meets cultural preservation, and where a personal collection becomes a global narrative, he said.
As the world continues to grapple with the challenges Einstein foresaw – nuclear threats, cultural misunderstandings, and the need for global cooperation – his archives remain a powerful, timely reminder of intellectual courage and human potential Gutfreund said.
“We have the rights for everything that Einstein represented,” he said. “In this way, we are the eternal home of his heritage, and we share it with the whole world.”
If Hebrew University is the home of Einstein’s heritage, then Gutfreund is the gatekeeper and guardian of some of history’s most important works.