Israel is to open a museum celebrating Albert Einstein, who was a German-born Jew.
The Israeli government has budgeted 64 million NIS as part of their 2023 budget, to establish the Albert Einstein Museum, in Jerusalem. The museum, at the Safra Campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, will present Einstein’s vast contributions to science, the impact of his discoveries on Israeli lives, and his crucial Zionist views as one of the founders of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Visitors will have access to tour a reconstruction of Einstein’s library and office from his time in Princeton, and to view several of his original papers. The project directors are hoping that the Albert Einstein Museum becomes a major attraction in Jerusalem’s diverse cultural sites.
Israel’s government has approved the establishment of a museum dedicated to Albert Einstein. It will be built on the campus of Hebrew University, a school the physicist helped establish. It'll be the largest repository of Einstein material in the world: https://t.co/HznBXkMkP9 pic.twitter.com/aSc8cxg9yH
— The Jewish Federations of North America (@jfederations) October 26, 2022
The archives of Einstein are expected to be accessible to the general public in digital format and the museum will also operate as a base for scientific and technological education.
This initiative was funded by Israel’s Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage, headed by Knesset Member (MK) Ze’ev Elkin, as well as the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport, the Ministry of Finance, and the Prime Minister’s Office. The government will provide 22.5 million NIS and the Hebrew University, which also receives a governmental budget, will provide over 40 million NIS.
Israel has decided to allocate millions of dollars for a new museum to house renowned physicist Albert Einstein's extensive archives, which he bequeathed to Hebrew University after his death in 1955.
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) October 24, 2022
➡️ https://t.co/71tzYOHBUS pic.twitter.com/Fx9ImHCQnz
Professor Asher Cohen, president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said: “Albert Einstein was one of the most prominent supporters of the State of Israel and one of the founding fathers of Hebrew University. His legacy of excellence in academic research forms the very foundation of our university, whereas his scientific achievements, which changed the world of physics, continue to impact all of our lives, from lasers and nuclear energy to GPS and space travel. These developments, and many more, can be traced to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.”
Israel approves $18 million for Albert Einstein Museum at Hebrew University https://t.co/ifTc3b9Y9Y
— Grant de Graf ™ (@GrantdeGraf) October 24, 2022
Elkin, who serves as Minister of Construction and Housing, and of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage also released a statement. “Today, as the new academic year opens, we are passing an important resolution for strengthening academia in Israel, the capital of Israel, and the Hebrew University. The establishment of the Albert Einstein Museum and the provision of a permanent home for the full Einstein archives will bolster the standing of Israeli academia in general, and of the Hebrew University in particular, in the international arena. It will reinforce the international status of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and will bring tens of thousands of tourists to this unique site.”
