Williams Burger

A remarkable letter from Albert Einstein, written just weeks before Nazi Germany invaded Poland. On June 10, 1939, Einstein wrote to Jewish activist Irving Lubetkin, who was helping Jewish refugees escape Nazi persecution. Einstein’s warning was as simple as it was profound: “The power of resistance which has enabled the Jewish people to survive for thousands of years has been based…on traditions of mutual helpfulness.” He continued: “May we stand this test as well as did our fathers before us.” Written on the eve of catastrophe, Einstein’s words were a call for Jews to stand together when their fellow Jews were in peril. More than 80 years later, this letter feels almost unbearably timely. History leaves us with a question: Will we stand the test?