7 Chapter 6 War Again

Chapter 6 War … Again "Unless the cause of peace based on law gathers behind it the force and zeal of a religion, it hardly can hope to succeed." —Albert Einstein Albert's fame brought him thousands of letters from people all over the world. Not just scientists, either—kids, newspaper reporters, political leaders, college students—they all wrote to him. Many of the letters came from Jewish people right in Germany. They were kept out of schools, denied jobs, and not allowed to vote. Albert was Jewish. Couldn't he do anything? For a long time Albert wanted to help create a homeland for Jewish people. The current Jewish

nation of Israel did not exist in the early 1900s. The land where Israel is now was called Palestine. Like many other Jews, Albert thought that this area was where a Jewish homeland belonged. In 1921, Albert traveled with other important Jewish people to the United States. He wanted to raise money for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Albert enjoyed the long boat trip from Europe to America. He looked out at the endless ocean and felt "dissolved and immersed in nature." It

reminded Albert how tiny one man was compared to the greatness of nature. He was not so important as the world was making him out to be. That thought, he said, "makes me happy." So Albert was quite surprised to see thousands of people, including reporters and photographers, waiting at the pier when his ship arrived in New York City. Wherever he went, there were huge crowds eager to see the genius who unlocked secrets of the universe. The mayor of New York personally welcomed him and presented Albert with a key to the city. There was a parade in his honor. When Albert visited Washington, D.C., President Warren Harding invited him to the White House.

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Albert's "eccentric genius look" was a big hit with Americans. With his wild hair, messy clothes, and friendly personality, Albert charmed reporters. He was often asked, "Could you briefly explain your theory of relativity?" This question drove Albert nuts. After all, it had taken him fifteen years of intense thinking to develop the theory. But he'd take a deep breath, smile, and say, "When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute—and it's longer than any hour. That's relativity." Although Albert was a superstar in the United States, he was an unwanted problem in Germany. Although he still had his teaching job in Berlin, it