The Israeli government unanimously approved yesterday, May 20, the establishment of the Albert Einstein museum in Jerusalem that will reveal items from the legacy of the father of the theory of relativity. The idea for the museum, which will be built on the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University, was originally initiated by President Shimon Peres.
In his will, Albert Einstein left the Hebrew University his personal papers and the intellectual copyright to them, as well as the right to use his image.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday, “This is not just a tourist matter. This is an issue of the greatest value that will grant recognition to the sparks of genius that were hidden in our people and which broke through with Einstein.”
The government decision took place a week after the Limmud FSU Conference in Princeton, New Jersey, where the accomplishments of Professor Albert Einstein, who lived and taught at Princeton University, were emphasized. The conference brought together over 650 young Russian-American Jews from across the country came for a festival of Jewish learning.
Among the participants at the conference were Professor Hanoch Gutfreund, former President of Hebrew University and the academic director of the Einstein Archives at Hebrew University and its copyrights, and Yoram Raviv, deputy director-general at President Pere’s Residence, who presented the plan of the new Einstein museum at the conference.
Chaim Chesler, Limmud FSU founder, congratulated the Israeli government and said that this is a historical decision that will significantly contribute to tourism in Israel. Chesler also mentioned that the next year Limmud FSU Conference in Israel will be dedicated to Professor Albert Einstein as well, and will be held on the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, near the location of where the new museum will be built.
